Illinois raised its per-gallon gasoline tax at the beginning of July and it’s already having an effect on state prices.
AAA reports the current state average is around $3.14 per gallon, and may be driving some border residents to get their fuel in other states. GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says the change came quickly.
“Average prices shot up noticeably within the first 24 hours but it took almost 48-72 hours for stations to fully pass along the state’s 19 cent per gallon increase in gasoline tax,” he said.
DeHaan says prices also remain high because of increased oil costs. This, he says, is due to tensions between Iran and the West in the Persian Gulf.