Illinois Gas Tax 'Lockbox' Constitutional Amendment to Appear on Nov. 8 Ballot
Voters will get a chance to weigh in on a proposed change to the Illinois Constitution that would prevent cash-strapped state government from raiding funds intended to be used on transportation projects.
If the constitutional amendment is approved Nov. 8, all money raised through various transportation-related levies such as the gas tax, tolls, licenses fees and vehicle registration costs would be put into what amounts to budget "lockbox."
That money could then only be spent on road construction and repair, enforcing traffic laws, paying off debt on transit projects and even costs associated with workers injured on the job. The change would not apply to state and local sales taxes that often are added on top of the gas tax that motorists pay at the pump.
The effort comes as Illinois' infrastructure wish list continues to grow, but money earmarked for transportation projects is routinely diverted to fill other budget holes. While some advocacy groups have called for a gas tax increase, raising taxes is politically unpopular during an election year. Lawmakers instead went for the more palatable option of putting an amendment on the ballot to protect those funds, which would still be useful should they sign off on a gas tax hike down the road.
The Metropolitan Planning Council estimates Illinois must pour an extra $43 billion into transportation during the next 10 years to do away with a maintenance backlog and bring roads, bridges and highways into good condition. Illinois imposes a base tax rate of 19 cents per gallon for gasoline and 21.5 cents a gallon for diesel, though other fractions of a penny are added on to pay for costs associated with environmental cleanup and underground storage of fuel. The gas tax has not been increased since 1991, and money raised has remained relatively flat as vehicles become increasingly fuel-efficient but construction costs go up.
"This is a common-sense action to take," said sponsoring Sen. Bill Haine, a Democrat. "Fees collected by the state that are related to transportation should be used to reinvest in highways, railroads and bridges."
The measure proved to be the only legislatively approved amendment voters will get a chance to weigh in on this fall. Efforts to eliminate the lieutenant governor's office, overhaul how legislative districts are drawn and institute a graduated tax rate failed to clear the General Assembly amid political gamesmanship. A well-funded private group is attempting to gather enough signatures to get a redistricting proposal before voters this fall.
