Metro East Sun

A gas tax hidden inside the 583-page state budget passed this summer is proof more transparency in government s needed, one Illinois Senate candidate says.

“It is disappointing that the legislation has passed and that the message to the voters and the message to the taxpayers and the message to all of us has been hidden in a budget bill,” Hal Patton told the Metro East Sun. “Obviously this is an indication that there needs to be more transparency and honesty and inclusion of the taxpayers in the consideration in Springfield.”

Patton said the extra $95 million expected to be raised by the gas tax won’t be enough to cover what the state owes.

Hal Patton

“They increased our income tax and at the same time still have $15 billion in unpaid bills and hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded pension liability,” he said. “It is a huge dilemma, and I think they need to come clean and say, ‘This is what we are doing. We have to raise funds to help with these expenses and these deficits.’ But instead, they passed these things and don’t tell the taxpayers about them.”

Patton argues that if he had been in office he would have considered a complete revamp of expenses and worked to find a “true revenue source” that would have led to a balanced budget.

“To me, it just seems like kicking the can down the road.”

Taxpayers will bear the burden of higher gas prices because legislators declined to renew a 20-percent tax credit given to wholesalers for unleaded fuel that contains ethanol. 

The extra money will go into the general funds rather than for road maintenance and repair. 

Patton is running to replace retiring Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) in the 56th District, which covers O’Fallon, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Wood River, Alton and Godfrey.