CHICAGO - He's one of the feistiest GOP members of the Illinois House and he's one that is ever-hopeful of change. And despite it being near-impossible to make happen, Thursday he will hold a press conference in downtown Chicago, calling on the legislature to repeal the 18 cent a gallon gas tax imposed on Illinoisans July 1st.
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn of the northern suburb East Dundee says the recent capital program that 18 cent gas tax hike was supposed to fund could have been corruptly maneuvered. And why does he say that could be the case - here in Illinois?
Not deterred by being unable to stop the gas tax back in May, Skillicorn called for a repeal of the gas tax because of yet another FBI investigation into Chicago area Democrats - this time, Sen. Martin Sandoval, the "architect of the recent massive gas tax increase."
Feds raided Sen. Sandoval's Springfield, home and district offices in September
“There is no process in the infrastructure bill for which projects will be selected or which companies will be hired to do the work,” Skillicorn said. “Now we read that federal investigators have raided Sen. Sandoval’s house and his offices and that there are questions about potential kickbacks.
Skillicorn said with the federal investigation going on, Illinois taxpayers have no assurances anything about the gas tax or the capital bill was above board.
"Let’s repeal it and draft clean legislation to provide taxpayers with a guarantee that their hard-earned dollars are not going to pad the pockets of connected insiders,” he said.
The capital program itself was distributed in a questionable manner. Democrats were given up to twice as much to spend on their districts as Republicans that supported the measure received. Republican House member Margo McDermed voted for the gas tax in order to get the most for her district's needs - and felt soon after it was time to spend more time with her family.
Nineteen other GOP House members also voted Yes on the tax hike with McDermed: Minority Leader Jim Durkin, House members Bennett, Bourne, (Dan) Brady, Bryant, Butler, Demmer, Durkin, Frese, Keicher, Marron, Mazzochi, McAuliffe, Meier, Murphy, Reick, Severin, Sosnowski and Welter.
Skillicorn told Illinois Review Wednesday he thinks people are outraged - and part of why he's leading the charge to repeal the tax.
He ran a poll on his Facebook page, and 96% agreed with him.
On the other hand, political insiders tell Illinois Review that GOP Senate Leader Bill Brady is expressing pleasant surprise that the 12 GOP senate members aren't getting more heat for voting 'Yes" on the gas tax.
Those 12 Republican senators - Anderson, Barickman, (Bill) Brady, Curran, DeWitte, Fowler, McClure, McConchie, Rezin, Rose, Syverson and Tracy voted "yes" on SB 1939 that raised the gas tax to 38 cents a gallon, and one - Jim Oberweis - voted present.
Those 12 votes allowed four Democrats to vote "no" - Bennett, Crowe, Glowiak and Villivalam - and enabling those Democrats in swing districts to say to potential angry voters at the next election, "Hey, I voted no on the gas tax hike!"
