Illinois
Illinois gas tax set to increase every year—without a vote
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2019 “Rebuild Illinois” plan created automatic inflationary adjustments in the state gas tax, which could reach over $1 per gallon by 2056.
Illinois’ state gas tax is slated to go up every year without lawmakers ever voting on the increases.
The state went almost 30 years without raising the tax, which was 19 cents a gallon from 1990 to 2019.
That year, as part of his “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure program, Pritzker doubled the tax to 38 cents a gallon.
More consequentially, the law created automatic yearly increases linked to inflation. Because of that, Illinois drivers will likely pay more in state gas taxes each year for the foreseeable future unless lawmakers take action, as there’s no expiration date on the annual adjustments.
The gas tax could more than double in the next 30 years. By then, it could be over $1 a gallon, five times more than before Pritzker took office.
The automatic increases allow lawmakers to avoid having to pass an unpopular tax hike and justify it to voters. They also can claim credit when they pause the hikes, saying it’s tax relief for residents.
That’s what the governor has done this year, holding off for six months on a 1.3-cents-a-gallon increase that was slated to kick in July 1.
Pritzker made affordability a central theme of his fiscal 2027 budget, but this temporary reprieve does nothing to change the long-term reality of yearly automatic gas tax increases.
The Illinois Tollway Board might even add automatic inflationary adjustments to passenger tolls, despite the Illinois Tollway reporting its highest collections and net revenue in state history.
Pritzker appoints the tollway board members and is himself an ex-officio member, as is the Pritzker-appointed state secretary of transportation.
Meanwhile, Illinois continues to hoard billions in the state’s Road Fund, money meant for improving transportation infrastructure. The fund held over $3.7 billion at the end of fiscal 2025.
Despite this surplus and drivers paying the nation’s second-highest gas taxes, federal data shows that 80.4% of Illinois roads were considered acceptable in 2024, fewer than in 2015, when the gas tax was still 19 cents.
Lawmakers also divert sales tax revenue on gas that would have gone into the Transportation Fund and Downstate Transportation Fund to fill budget shortfalls. The fiscal 2027 budget redirects $150 million in unexpected gas sales tax revenue from higher fuel costs to help close the state’s broader budget gap.
Gas taxes hit working families the hardest. Middle- and low-income Illinoisans often drive older, less fuel-efficient vehicles and spend a larger share of their income commuting to work, getting to school and handling daily necessities.
Lawmakers should be required to vote on state gas tax increases rather let automatic increases allow them to avoid scrutiny from their constituents.
Two people were shot, and one of them died, in an apartment in the north Chicago suburb of Mundelein on Tuesday morning.
At 11:40 am., Mundelein police were called to a building in the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive following the shooting.
They found two victims who had been shot. A woman was taken to an area hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, while a man died at the hospital, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.
Mundelein police obtained a description of a suspect vehicle and broadcast it to other law enforcement agencies. Illinois State Police traced a car all the way to the Illinois-Indiana state line, where they pulled over the car and took a man and woman into custody.
Police believe the shooting was targeted and domestic in nature, the sheriff’s office said.
The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and Mundelein police continued to investigate Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 1:19AM
MUNDELEIN, Ill. (WLS) — A motorcyclist was killed in a north suburban crash on Monday evening, police said.
Mundelein police said officers and members of the fire department responded to a crash involving a Suzuki motorcycle and a Honda SUV near Route 45 and Route 83 around 5:25 p.m.
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The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man, was ejected, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, and his name was not immediately released.
Police said the intersection was shut down but is expected to reopen around 8:30 p.m.
The Mundelein Police Department, the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, and the Lake County Coroner’s Office are investigating.
Authorities did not immediately provide further information.
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Illinois
Severed arm in Illinois lake: Court records say body parts found in freezer, half-brother claimed self-defense
ILLINOIS – Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.
New details have emerged in the case of a severed arm bearing a distinctive Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers tattoo that was recovered from an Illinois lake, leading investigators to identify the victim.
James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, have been charged in connection with the death of 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner. Both face charges of concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony, and dismembering a human body, a Class X felony.
The backstory:
Two charged after severed arm with Packers tattoo found in Illinois lake, police say
Will County court documents released Monday identify Adams as Dalewayne Turner’s half-brother and Robin Turner as his wife.
According to the documents, Adams admitted to fatally stabbing Dalewayne Turner, while Robin Turner did not contact law enforcement after the killing.
Investigators allege the two took extensive steps to conceal the crime, including using bleach to clean the home and mask odors, repainting portions of the house, removing and burning wood paneling in a fire pit, and disposing of rugs.
Court records describe a large amount of blood at the scene and state that Dalewayne Turner’s body was dismembered. Some of his remains were placed in a freezer that investigators say was purchased specifically for that purpose.
Authorities allege the remains were placed in trash bags, weighted down, sealed with duct tape and transported to Lake Mattoon, where they were dumped in an effort to prevent the victim from being found and identified.
Prosecutors said one weighted bag came apart, allowing Dalewayne Turner’s tattooed arm to surface. Boaters discovered the arm on the evening of June 28.
Pictured is an arm tattoo of a skeleton holding a Green Bay Packers helmet. (Illinois State Police)
A dive team later recovered additional weighted bags containing human remains from the lake.
What they’re saying:
After Adams was taken into custody June 30, court documents say he confessed to the killing but claimed he acted in self-defense.
“The one thing I will say is that I did it, but I did it out of self-defense. I will tell you guys that,” James said.
During an interview with investigators June 30, Robin Turner said Adams and Dalewayne Turner argued in the living room before Adams stabbed him multiple times.
According to court documents, Adams later told Robin Turner that Dalewayne Turner either fell or was pushed down a staircase after the stabbing and that he placed the body in a freezer.
Robin Turner told investigators she believed the body was still in the freezer, which she said she purchased from Best Buy on June 19 after her previous freezer broke.
She also told investigators that the repainting and remodeling inside the home were part of renovation work completed between June 21 and June 30.
On July 1, Illinois State Police agents searched the home and found a downstairs freezer with what appeared to be a bloodstain dripping from a drain hole, according to court records.
Investigators opened the freezer and found a partial body consisting of a torso, neck and head, but no limbs, court documents state.
What’s next:
Both Robin Turner and Adams are scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Thursday for a detention hearing.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by Will County court documents and previous FOX Chicago reporting.
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