As the legislature completes their work this week on the state budget and spending plan, the plain truth is that there will be many fee increases set in motion to come up with funding to improve Illinois' road, bridges and other infrastructure.  The bills being debated are passing on mostly party-line votes, and while the business community is working diligently to balance the needs of the State with attempts to keep the business climate in Illinois reasonable, ultimately there will be many increased costs on businesses and citizens, including but not limited to:

 

Gasoline tax goes from 19 to 40 cents per gallon

Diesel goes from 21 to 45.5 cents per gallon

Truck registration fees increase by $100 in each respective weight class

Class B registration increases by $50

Drivers license fees go from $30 to $60

Commercial Distribution Fee is repealed

 

It is also likely that recreational marijuana will be legalized and fingerprinting will be required for FOID card carriers, along with more frequent FOID renewals and higher FOID fees.  There is also a bill still under consideration that would allow counties to decide if they want business property owners to remit their financial statements to the county assessor, ostensibly for the county to then decide if property will be assessed by value or by income.  IFCA has been part of many discussions on these and other bills, and we will let you know where it all comes out in the end.