Sen. Dave Syverson targets gas tax, regulations in Parks Chamber speech
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — There were three concerns that state Sen. Dave Syverson said he heard again and again during his time on the campaign trail over the last few months: gas prices and inflation, the state of the economy and crime.
On Wednesday, the Republican lawmaker offered local business officials and other residents his view on ways the Democratic-controlled state government has failed to address those issues and what he thinks Illinois should do instead.
Syverson was speaking before the Parks Chamber of Commerce as part of its yearlong legislative series, which is designed to connect business leaders and government officials over a series of speeches. He is the fourth state lawmaker and sixth speaker in the 10-month series.
Syverson, who won his primary challenge over Eli Nicolosi on June 28, advocated for fewer regulations and a more business friendly environment during his speech. He described it as a common-sense approach to government, and one he’s worked toward since joining the state Senate in 1993.
“You can’t tax and regulate your way into prosperity, but you can grow your way by improving the jobs climate,” he told the crowd at Forest Hills Country Club. “Every other state that cuts regulations and becomes job friendly, we see how quickly they grow.”
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Gas taxes
He began his roughly 30-minute speech, plus and extra 10 minutes when he addressed questions from the crowd, by pointing criticism at the state’s recent delay in increasing its motor fuel tax. The state’s motor fuel tax increase was delayed from July 1 until January, which Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration says will save consumers roughly $70 billion.
But now, Syverson noted, the rate will jump 4 cents instead of 2. He said that increase conveniently happens after the November election.
Syverson pitched a different plan earlier this year, sponsoring a bill that would have capped the state’s sales tax on gas at 18 cents per gallon. It would have saved drivers millions, he said, but Democrats didn’t support the measure. Instead, he said Illinois is benefitting from high gas prices by reaping billions more from the percent it takes in sales taxes that could’ve been returned to taxpayers with his proposal.
“Our state’s budget was predicated on the state collecting 18 cents per gallon in sales tax. … Now, that tax is close to 34 cents a gallon, so the state is taking in an extra $3 million a day from taxpayers,” he said. “It’s a windfall of revenue coming into the state which we believe should be going back to the taxpayers.”
He also noted that Illinois now as the second-highest gasoline taxes in the nation behind California, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. The state got that designation largely because it doubled the motor fuel tax from 19 cents per gallon to 39 cents in 2019.
Unemployment insurance
Syverson also criticized Democrats decision to allocate about $2.7 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to pay down two-thirds of the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund debt. The state should have paid off the entire debt to ensure businesses wouldn’t be forced to pay more in the future, he said.
That decision will “result in your unemployment rates doubling,” Syverson said. “Come January, you’re going to see your unemployment rates doubled for the next three years to pay off that trust fund.”
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He said the unemployment fund’s deficit can be blamed on Pritzker’s decision to shut down businesses in response to COVID-19. The unemployment trust fund went from a $2 billion surplus to roughly $4.7 billion deficit in that time.
He said Pritzker’s administration also failed to go after the roughly $2 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims fraudsters pilfered from the state.
He also said part of the reason for the fraud was because of an archaic system at the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Crime
Syverson also briefly criticized the new SAFE-T Act, which put a broad range of criminal justice reforms into place.
The law abolishes cash bail starting in January, reforms use-of-force standards, requires body-worn cameras for all departments by 2025, reforms police training and expands the rights of pretrial detainees.
Syverson called it the “defund police bill.”
“We have the lowest prison count in our recent history in Illinois because of our releasing people that shouldn’t be released,” he said.
He said calls for more social service programs to curb crime are misguided.
“If programs were the answer than Rockford and Chicago would have the lowest crime in the country,” Syverson said.
Instead, Syverson said the solution to crime is to hold people accountable for their actions.
Syverson joked during the question-and-answer session that he was only delivering bad news. But he said the state can improve its economic situation with the right people in place who are willing to tackle issues of unemployment insurance, workers compensation and other regulatory issues.
“Those are the things that can be done, and if they’re done we can see how quickly a state like Illinois can turn around,” he said.
Legislative series | next speakers
The Parks Chamber legislative event series takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month through October at Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road.
Register to attend any of the events here.
Here’s the remaining slate of speakers:
Aug. 17: State Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Loves Park
Sept. 21: State of the Schools with Harlem School District Superintendent Terrell Yarbrough
Oct. 19: State of the Parks with Machesney Park Village President Steve Johnson and Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury
Nov. 16: State of the Park District with Jay Sandine, executive director of the Rockford Park District
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas
