By Illinois Review
Illinois politics has a way of rewarding selective memory, and this past week delivered a near-perfect example.
Republican State Rep. Joe Sosnowski, Rockford – who voted for one of the largest tax increases in state history – has been honored by Americans for Prosperity Illinois as a champion of taxpayers.
In 2019, Sosnowski was one of just 20 House Republicans who voted in favor of Senate Bill 1939, the gas tax increase that formed the backbone of Gov. JB Pritzker’s “Rebuild Illinois” capital plan.
That vote helped Democrats double the state’s gas tax overnight and lock Illinois drivers into automatic increases tied to inflation.
Despite that record, Americans for Prosperity Illinois recently handed Sosnowski its 2025 Prairie State Promise Award. AFP went even further, claiming Sosnowski “exemplifies courageous, solutions-driven leadership and remains a dependable voice for Illinois taxpayers.”
That praise collides head-on with Sosnowski’s voting record.
Under Senate Bill 1939, the gas tax jumped from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents starting July 1, 2019. Diesel taxes rose from 21.5 cents to 45.5 cents. Because the law indexed the tax to inflation, drivers now pay even more without lawmakers ever voting again.
As of July 1, 2025, Illinois motorists are paying 48.3 cents per gallon in state gas tax alone.
The financial impact has been enormous. From FY2020 through FY2025, the gas tax has generated roughly $16 billion in revenue. Without the hike and indexing, collections would have totaled about $8.4 billion over that same period.
That means Illinois families have been hit with approximately $7.6 billion in new taxes – thanks in part to Republican votes like Sosnowski’s.
The irony deepened on December 17, 2025, when AFP Illinois posted on Facebook: “Pritzker hiked your gas taxes 157%! Yesterday, he raided those road funds to bail out failed Chicago Transit.” The statement accurately condemns Democratic mismanagement – but omits the Republicans who helped make those hikes possible.
Sosnowski’s vote came during the House concurrence on June 1, 2019, when the bill passed. Democrats needed crossover support. Sosnowski gave it to them.
So the question remains: when will Rep. Joe Sosnowski apologize to the people of Illinois for his vote? Until that happens, claims of “courageous” taxpayer leadership ring hollow to families still paying more every time they pull up to the pump.
