North Cook News

Illinois Eighth Congressional District candidate Mark Rice stated, "Illinoisians are feeling the pinch this morning as the gas taxes rise, making Illinois the 2nd highest gas tax in the Nation." He made this statement in a July 1 Facebook post.

"Illinoisians are feeling the pinch this morning as the gas taxes rise, making Illinois the 2nd highest gas tax in the Nation," said Rice, according to Facebook. "Yet again, middle and lower income families will be heavily burned by this increase on top of trying to pay for higher rent and food costs. We need to eliminate career politicians and bring back common sense strategies to help alleviate the burden on families."

In his post, Rice shared a link to a Fox2Now article about the increased gas tax that went into effect on July 1. The report noted that at 47 cents per gallon, it is the second-highest in the United States. This represents an increase of $184 more in gas taxes than before 2019 when the 19-cent-per-gallon gas tax doubled and then increased three more times as part of the Rebuild Illinois campaign.

Screenshot of Mark Rice for Congress July 1 Facebook | Mark Rice for Congress Facebook page

According to NBC5 Chicago, in a June 23 report on the coming increase, the rise from $0.454 cents per gallon to $0.47 is an increase of more than 3.5% over the previous year. NBC5 Chicago also reported that the state tax on diesel fuel increased from $0.529 per gallon to $0.545 per gallon, an increase of just over 3%. NBC5 noted that fuel tax revenue is used for construction projects on local and state roads and cannot be allocated for anything other than transportation costs due to a voter-approved state constitutional amendment passed in 2016.

The Eighth Congressional District, covering northern Cook County, northern DuPage County, and northeast Kane County, is currently held by U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.). Krishnamoorthi was elected to Congress in 2016 and is now serving his fourth term as Illinois’ Eighth District U.S. Representative.

Rice’s bid for the Eighth Congressional District emphasizes key focuses including promoting economic growth, upholding fiscal responsibility, enacting tax relief, and addressing issues related to immigration reform and border security. He has lived in Illinois for 35 years and currently serves as CEO of Energy CX, positioning him as a notable executive in the energy sector where he oversees a team of 70 employees.