WATCH: Illinois veto session to resume with potential taxes and fees on the table

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Fall veto session is scheduled to resume Tuesday for lawmakers at the Illinois Capitol.

State Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, said Monday that transit and energy are two of the biggest issues facing the General Assembly.

“Keeping energy costs down, the people of the state of Illinois want to keep money in their pockets, right? We got kids. We got bills, so keeping utility costs down,” Evans said.

Evans also said taxes should be fair and low.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, expressed excitement about veto session but also concern about what might transpire.

“Hopefully the bad legislation that we’ve been hearing about does not surface. Hopefully they can’t find an agreement on some of the stuff, especially the energy bill,” Halbrook said.

Democrats have proposed adding a charge to consumers utility bills to pay for battery storage in the state.

A number of tax proposals are up for discussion, but one tax in particular has bipartisan opposition.

Several Illinois Senate Democrats have said that all options remain on the table to fund public transit.

State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, said the House did not pass a retail delivery tax last spring because it would be unfair to charge people in rural communities or “deserts” for essential things or items they can’t get access to.

“Now I have a real issue with that, because out here, we don’t have a whole lot of stores. We don’t have specialty stores. You either have to drive or you have to order,” Briel told The Center Square.

State Rep. Li Arellano, R-Dixon, said none of the Democrats’ tax increases are popular.

“Just this football season alone, I’ve been getting a ton of emails about the per-bet tax that we added. Obviously, we added cell phone taxes. Our fuel taxes are tied to inflation, so they’re just automatically going up. They’re getting hit by all these things,” Arellano told The Center Square.

Transit agencies have projected a $230 million fiscal cliff next year and an $834 million cliff in 2027.

The fall veto session has three days remaining and is scheduled to end on Thursday.