Kane County Reporter

In a recent Facebook post, Illinois state Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) shared his thoughts on a grocery tax going into effect on July 1. He took to social media to criticize Democrats in the state legislature who have renewed the state’s grocery tax.

“The Democrats new grocery tax will go into effect on July 1st,” he said in the post.

Syverson’s post included a video in which he discussed what he dubbed the “new grocery tax.”

“Unfortunately, the majority party chose to expand hundreds of programs, including healthcare for undocumented immigrants, give pay raises, start new programs, and to pay for that, not only giving relief, but putting a tax back on groceries,” the legislator said in the video. “Not only are families not going to see any tax relief, they’re actually going to be hit with this new grocery tax going into effect July 1.”

Syverson also pointed out in the video that he voted against the budget that placed the $400 million tax back on the state’s residents.

“I’m going to work to get this tax repealed, but for now, unfortunately, this tax is going to hit you this weekend,” he said in the video.

The state’s grocery tax was suspended in 2022, according to a fact sheet from the Illinois Department of Revenue. But the suspension did not include the additional taxes imposed on grocery food by the Regional Transportation Authority and the Metro-East Mass Transit District.

In addition to the repeal of the grocery tax suspension, a gasoline tax that had been slated to go into effect last year but was suspended until January of this year was set to increase yet again on July 1, according to a Kiplinger report this week. The new gas tax will be at 45.4 cents a gallon. The report also indicated that the grocery tax remains at the pre-suspension level of 1%, a reduction from the usual 6.25% state sales tax.

Revenues from the gasoline tax as well as an increase to license and registration fees in 2020 were both part of a proposal for a Rebuild Illinois infrastructure project, according to Capitol News Illinois. The 6-year project earmarks $44.2 billion to upgrade and rehabilitate bridges and roads statewide.