Rock Island Today

State Representative Travis Weaver highlighted the upcoming increase in the gas tax, set to take effect on July 1. He stated that although the tax revenue is intended for road repairs, "IDOT is sitting on a $3 billion balance in its road fund." Weaver made this statement in a June 25 Facebook post.

"The gasoline tax in Illinois is once again set to rise on July 1 by three percent to 47 cents per gallon," said Weaver, according to Facebook. "This tax revenue is supposed to be used to fix our roads, yet IDOT is sitting on a $3 billion balance in its road fund. It's time for IDOT to spend that money to fix our roads or we need to cut the gas tax."

In his post, Representative Weaver shared a link to a June 24 report from 25News Now, which reminded readers of the impending gas tax rate increase. The rate will rise by three percent, bringing the Illinois Motor Fuel Tax to 47 cents per gallon and the diesel tax to 54 cents per gallon.

Screenshot of Rep. Travis Weaver's June 25 Facebook post | State Representative Travis Weaver's Facebook page

According to 25News Now, Weaver expressed concerns about how the funds are being utilized. "Obviously, they take in revenue and spend money, but the balance has grown by six times as much. I would say to IDOT: ‘You have two choices. You either start spending that money, putting it to work to get roads fixed, or we’re going to cut the gas tax,’" said Weaver.

The report also noted that while electric vehicle (EV) owners do not pay a gas tax, they will be required to pay an annual fee of $100 in addition to their annual registration fee. This measure aims to compensate for the lost revenue from EV owners who do not contribute through gas taxes.

The increase in the gas tax is part of a six-year infrastructure plan for fiscal years 2025-2030. The plan outlines a budget of $29.651 billion, with $23.005 billion allocated for state systems and $6.64 billion for local roadways. According to a fact sheet from IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation), the breakdown includes $9.3 billion for roads, $7.8 billion for bridges across the state, $1.9 billion for safety and modernization projects, $1.6 billion for system support, and $2.34 billion for system expansion.

Weaver was born and raised in Peoria County and holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of Alabama as well as an MBA from Northern University. Outside his duties at the Illinois General Assembly, he tutors GED students and serves as a substitute teacher.