Illinois Legislator Proposes Pilot Program To Study Road Usage Charge Act
The state of Illinois is once again considering a tax proposal that has stirred significant controversy in the past—a road mileage tax that would charge residents per mile driven. Democratic State Representative Ram Villivalam has introduced the Road Usage Charge Act, which would launch a pilot program to explore the feasibility of such a tax. However, critics warn that not only could this proposal create additional financial burdens for Illinois residents, but it may also raise serious concerns about personal privacy.
At the heart of the issue is the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. Unlike traditional gas-powered cars, EVs do not contribute to state gas tax revenues, which in Illinois are the second highest in the country. Proponents of the mileage tax argue that as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, the state will need a new source of revenue to maintain infrastructure. But opponents, such as Dylan Sharkey from the Illinois Policy Institute, see the proposal as nothing more than an excuse to collect even more money from taxpayers.
“What this proposal would do is establish a pilot program exploring a tax for drivers by the mile, regardless of what type of car they have,” Sharkey explained. “So that would involve people reporting their mileage each year, some even having devices in their car tracking how far they drive instead of reporting it. And it’s really going after electric drivers who are avoiding gas taxes. We’re paying the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, so the thought that we need to give more money is just greed.”
If this all sounds familiar, that’s because Illinois lawmakers introduced a similar per-mile tax proposal in 2019. It was met with swift and overwhelming public backlash, forcing lawmakers to withdraw the bill within days. That same year, Governor J.B. Pritzker doubled the state’s gas tax from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents per gallon. Since then, the tax has continued to climb, reaching a staggering 67.1 cents per gallon as of early 2024—second only to California.
The implications of a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax go beyond just the financial burden. Privacy advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have long opposed such measures, particularly when they involve tracking devices installed in vehicles. These concerns are not unfounded. The idea of the government having access to detailed records of where and how far people drive raises serious questions about data security and potential misuse.
Economists have also raised doubts about the effectiveness of such a tax. Stephen Slivinski, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argues that these types of proposals often fail to replace existing taxes and instead become an additional cost to taxpayers. “A lot of times, when these are proposed, they are proposed as an add-on to the existing amount of taxes that are being collected,” Slivinski said. “And that’s not a good proposal.”
For Illinois drivers, high tolls are already a source of frustration. A 2024 LendingTree study ranked Illinois as having the seventh-highest average toll rates for passenger vehicles on non-interstate roads. Adding a per-mile tax on top of these costs could make driving in the state even more expensive.
Despite Governor Pritzker stating in 2023 that he has no intention of implementing a mileage tax, his past comments on the issue have left many skeptical. Back in 2018, he expressed openness to the idea, stating, “It’s only fair, right, that if you’re on a road and traveling on that road that you should pay your fair share on the road like everybody else is paying.”
With Illinois residents already paying some of the highest taxes in the country, the push for a road usage tax is certain to face resistance. Many are already speaking out, with local news outlets reporting growing opposition to the proposal. “It feels like more of an attack that we have to keep paying for this and that,” one Illinois driver, Sandi Diaz, told ABC7 Chicago.