State legislation proposes per-mile tax on drivers

By Gary Scott on April 13, 2016 at 12:49pm

A tax charged for every mile you drive in West Central Illinois? That’s what one state lawmaker wants to make a reality.

Illinois Senate Bill 3279 would give drivers in the state three options to pay road taxes starting in July 2025. You would either pay a flat rate based on 30-thousand miles annually, report miles by reading an odometer, or use an electronic location device to track miles.

13th District Congressman Rodney Davis, who represents Greene County, tells WMAY radio in Springfield that taxing miles driven rather than a per-gallon tax would affect families in his district more than families in urban areas.

“My single mom in rural America will be subsidizing those mass transit opportunities for all the others in the urban areas. i think it’s wrong,” Davis says.

But Davis says it’s up to state governments.

The bill remains in the Senate Executive Committee.

-Wire sources