Gas spike continues for Illinoisans; state leaders offer no plan to help yet

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As fuel prices continue rising, government leaders in Illinois have responded to growing concern over the impact high gas prices are having on residents.

Leaders in the Illinois government have put blame on the Trump Administration and the ongoing military conflict between the U.S.and Iran, but have not committed to taking any action to ease the burden for consumers.

The average cost of a gallon of unleaded in the state was nearly $4.21 on Tuesday, up $1.21 compared to a month ago, according to data from AAA. The state has also maintained an average cost above the national average nearly every day since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

When asked if there was anything he was considering to ease the burden for Illinoisans early Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is looking into ways of doing so, though he did not commit to any specific plans.

State Rep. Jed Davis, R-Yorkville, called on Democrats to address the issue last week, saying lawmakers should suspend the state’s fuel tax for a 60-day period.

Pritzker mentioned a previous time the legislature suspended the state’s fuel tax, but said the state also has heightened needs to consider that the tax supports.

“So it’s a challenging endeavor because of the infrastructure needs of the state, but I look for all of those ways that we can reduce costs for people,” Pritzker said. “There are a number of ways that input costs are rising aside from just oil and gas that we’re trying to bring down in the state.”

The Illinois motor fuel tax rate is 48 cents a gallon, the second highest in the nation behind California.

The tax, which is used exclusively to fund maintenance and construction of in-state transportation, brought in $3 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Illinois Comptroller’s office.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul addressed the jump in fuel costs Monday in a joint press conference with California’s attorney general. He said the global increase in the cost of oil is due to actions taken by Trump and there is not much the state can do.

“I don’t know that there’s much we can do from a state standpoint to impact what’s happening as a result of the president’s action again without consultation with Congress,” Raoul said.