In this issue:
- Suspending the sales tax on gasoline
- Transparency in short supply during a busy week
- Scarlett Siebert was Page for a Day
- Planting season underway: be safe!
Suspending the sales tax on gasoline
We have all been affected by the sudden spike in gas prices. While the increase is being driven by events overseas, there are a few things we can do at the state level to offer some assistance. One thing we can do is to temporarily suspend the state sales tax on gasoline.
Illinoisans are in a very unusual situation when it comes to taxes on purchases of gasoline because we are double-taxed. There is the cost of a gallon of gasoline, plus a gasoline tax which is charged to fund infrastructure projects. That tax is currently 48.3 cents per gallon, the second highest in the country. But then Illinois goes one step further and charges a sales tax on top of the combined cost of the gasoline and the gasoline tax.
This spring I have joined in the effort to suspend this sales tax for six months. I am a co-sponsor of House Bill 5738, which would suspend the state sales tax on gasoline from July 1 through the end of the year.
These high gas prices are especially difficult for residents of rural districts like ours, where we have to travel so much farther to buy groceries, drop kids off at school or visit a doctor. Suspending this tax is a small step, but at least it is something that we can, and should, do to help.
Transparency in short supply during a busy week
Today is the deadline for House bills to be passed and sent over to the Senate. As you can imagine, it has been a very busy week around the Capitol. Almost 500 bills were on the calendar when we got back to Springfield at the start of the week, and we have been moving through them very quickly all week.
The legislative process has a series of steps which are designed to ensure transparency for legislation – such as bills having to be read publicly on three different session days.
But over the years, legislators have found ways around these safeguards. Sometimes a bill is filed, and thousands of Illinoisans file witness slips in opposition to it. So, at the last minute, the language is copied and pasted into a different bill – with no witness slips – and then quickly passed.
Other times, a bill is introduced and moved through several steps in the process but then is amended at the last minute – sometimes with major changes – and then passed before anyone has a chance to review it. This happens quite often with the budget.
The “shell bill process” as it is known is a useful tool in the toolbox for time-sensitive legislation. But like anything else, it should be used responsibly.
During a committee hearing Wednesday night, the chairwoman cut off debate on a highly controversial bill regarding wetlands. They tried to rush the bill through, only to find that they didn’t have enough members present to approve it, so we had to wait. Several of us took advantage of the delay to ask more questions of the sponsor and highlight the bill’s shortcomings. Eventually enough members made it to the hearing room for the bill to pass.
A more open debate on such a controversial bill would have been better.
I will keep a watchful eye on this and many other bills which are moving around the Capitol.
Scarlett Siebert was Page for a Day
On Wednesday I was honored to be joined in the House chamber by Scarlett Siebert as my Page for a Day.
Scarlett is a 7th grader at Watseka Junior High. She is the daughter of Stacy Beam and Josh Siebert. Scarlett participates in the Builders Club and dance, she plays volleyball and is a student ambassador to the Iroquois County Juvenile Justice Council. She serves as co-chair of the kids zone at the Harvest Day event, which supports the Old Courthouse Museum. Scarlett helped found the Full Steam 4-H club, which specializes in projects like science, technology, engineering and math.
She joined us at the Capitol Wednesday along with a large group of students visiting for 4-H. She is a fifth-generation member of 4-H, along with her younger brother Elliott.
It was great to have Scarlett join us at the Capitol for the day!
Planting season underway: be safe!
As planting season gets underway, I want to share an important reminder with all of my constituents: Farm safety is everyone’s responsibility.
To our farmers: thank you for the long hours and dedication you put in to feed our communities. Please take the time to inspect equipment, use proper safety gear, and avoid fatigue during these busy days.
To drivers: be alert on rural roads. Slow down, watch for wide turns, and give farm equipment the space it needs. A few extra minutes can save a life.
To families: talk with children about the dangers of machinery and grain bins and make sure they understand how to stay safe around the farm.
Let’s also remember to check in on neighbors, keep emergency plans in place, and stay aware of changing weather conditions.
Together, we can ensure a safe and successful season for everyone across our district!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,115,365,583. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $2.3 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Committee’s tone criticized for trying to price the poor out of gun ownership
Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s attorneys to make case in appeal of conviction
New ag exhibit officially opens at Children’s Discovery Museum
Lawmakers grill Department of Corrections after audit shows dozens of failures