State Representative David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) says he is stridently opposed to the concept of taxing Illinois drivers on a per-mile basis. The idea first surfaced last year when Chicago Democrat and State Senate President John Cullerton floated a plan that would whack drivers with a per-miles driven tax. Reis announced on Wednesday that he is sponsoring a House Resolution that would officially put the House on the record opposing a per-mile tax.
“When it comes to ways to sock it to the average person, the per-mile tax is probably one of the most egregious and offensive ideas that I could think of,” Reis said. “Thousands of Southern Illinoisans drive long-distances to work, to visit family, and to tour attractions in other parts of our state. We’re talking tens of thousands of miles per year in some cases. So, I’m sponsoring HR 766 to stop this madness before the idea gains any traction in Springfield.”
Reis says the Chicago Democrats that control the legislature have been flirting with a per-mile tax system for quite some time. Currently, Chicago Democrats are publicly advocating for competing tax proposals that would give Southern Illinois’ motorists a variety of bad options.
One idea currently under consideration is a fee of 1.5¢ per mile driven on public, non-tolled Illinois roads using GPS tracking technology and the GPS tracking would be in a smartphone app or a tracking device similar to the I-Pass (or EZ-Pass) and would monitor the location of each driver to calculate how many miles were driven in Illinois each month.
Another plan would impose a fee of 1.5¢ per mile driven, but based on monthly odometer readings instead of GPS tracking technology. An additional plan would be a Flat Rate Plan of an annual fee of $450.
“I’m sponsoring HR 766 to say ‘enough is enough’,” Reis said. “When it comes to reaching into working families’ pockets, the Chicago Democrats can get very creative. The idea that the Government would put a GPS tracking device on a private citizen’s vehicle and tax that person based on the miles they drive is outrageous and offensive to me. Quite frankly, I find the concept tyrannical. I value my freedom to drive wherever I want whenever I want, and I know my constituents do as well. When we return to Springfield, I’m calling on every member of the House to join me and vote yes on my plan to stop these per-mile vehicle tax plans.”
