PEORIA, Ill. — Gas station managers across Illinois are effectively being forced to post notifications about the state’s delay in gas tax hikes until January.
At least one leader in the gasoline business is crying foul and suggesting there could be significant legal blow back for the State of Illinois.
On principle, Josh Sharp, President and CEO of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association, disagrees with the decision to delay an increase in the state’s gas tax as lawmakers promised and delivered in the last state legislative session.
He says, all it will mean is an additional gas tax increase in 2023, but he also takes issue with the forced notifications.
Sharp tells 1470 & 100.3 WMBD that gas station managers are being ordered under state law to post notifications about the delay in gas tax hikes or face hundreds of dollars in fines or potential petit crime charges.
He notes grocery stores are not facing the same stringent state requirement.
For grocery chains, “there’s no fine or penalty associated with it,” Sharp says.
When asked, Sharp suggested there could be lawsuits filed on constitutional grounds, indicating some gas station managers might consider “forced speech” as a form of a violation of free speech rights.
He could not say whether he expected the cases to reach class action status at any point and he did not indicate whether any cases are currently pending, but he said his organization certainly plans to help station managers in any such efforts.
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