Chicago City Wire

Northwest Side GOP Club recently offered up mock gratitude to the powers that be in Illinois for high fuel taxes that are exacerbating rising gas prices in the state — rates higher than the national average.

Democrats targeted for the Northwest Side GOP Club's "gratitude" in a July 20 tweet was addressed to President Joe Biden, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democrat lawmakers in the state House and Senate.

As of July 27, the average price of gas in Illinois sat at about $3.37, according to AAA.. | FreeImages - Kelly K

"We'd like to 'thank' #JoeBiden for ending America's energy independence and @GovPritzker, @ILSenDems, @HouseDemsIL for more than doubling the gasoline taxes since 2019," the club said on Twitter. "How high can it go?"

The club's tweet included a photo of a price sign at a convenience store at Chicago's North Harlem Avenue and West Higgins Avenue, which the post said was taken on July 20. The pricing board, which reflected a time of 1:38 a.m., reflected gas prices of about $3.95 per gallon for regular gas with a car wash, $4.15 per gallon for regular gas without a car wash, $4.65 per gallon for plus gas and $5.15 per gallon for V-power gas.

Illinois had the 10th highest average price of gas by the end of June, with an average price of $3.36 cents per gallon, according to the regularly updated AAA gas report at the time.

As of July 27, the average price of gas in Illinois was up about a cent at about $3.37, according to AAA.

That's above the national average for a gallon of gas at $3.16.

Illinois' fuel tax went up half a cent on July 1, from 38.7 to 38.2 cents per gallon, according to the South Central Reporter. Under a measure signed by Pritzker, the fuel tax in Illinois will automatically increase every July 1 based on the rate of inflation as reported the previous March, according to an American Petroleum Institute (API) report released July 1.

Other fuel-related taxes in Illinois includes an Underground Storage Tank rate of .3 cpg and an Environmental Impact Fee rate of .8 cpg, with E85 and diesel blends exempted from sales tax, as well as a 1.1 cpg tax for an underground storage tank fund, according to the API report.