Kendall County Times

Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) recently spoke on the House floor about how the state sales tax on gasoline is adversely affecting rural areas.

"There's an extra $400 to $500 billion in this budget because of the spike in gas taxes. That spike is disproportionately hurting middle-class and poor people. It's really disproportionately hurting rural people. When we talk about the divide between urban and rural areas in the state this is an example of telling somebody that has to drive across the border for cheaper gas or whatever the situation is or lose jobs because of it that here's where we are not going to take an extra 2.2 cents from you," Batinick said. "We know you have to drive 20 or 30 miles to work. They don't have subsidized public transportation. All this side is asking for regarding the gas tax is to not take the money that they weren't expecting anyway on the backs of the poor and especially rural poor."

Batinick said the surge in gas prices has brought in a windfall for the state.

"$400 to $500 billion of the revenue that are coming in that’s extra is because we're paying way more in gas than we were a year ago and it is unfortunate that this body feels the need to hold on to that money and not take an extra 2.2 cents," Batinick said. "It was an easy fix that was brought up on our side a long time ago. I was shocked that it wasn't passed in a bipartisan manner. That's extremely frustrating. I hope you guys understand when the people in rural areas get frustrated by the policies being dictated to them by Chicago, this is a real-world tangible example of where somebody has to spend as much as an hour or two of their wages just to get to their job."

To address the problem, Batinick introduced House Bill 5723 which would amend the use Tax Act and cap motor fuel taxes at 18 cents per gallon. 

The Bill was introduced back on March 11, but was never called for discussion by House Democrats. It was sponsored by Batinick and co-sponsored by all House Republicans.