Here’s Why Home Deliveries May Soon Be More Expensive In Illinois

Surprise: everything is expensive.

That seems to be especially true in Illinois. At the very last minute over the weekend, Illinois passed their budget for the next fiscal year. Major elements of it included adding a tax to online sports betting and tobacco tax.

On That Note: New Illinois Budget Passes: Here's What's About To Be Taxed

Not every part of the budget passed since it came down to the 11th hour. Besides issues involving Chicagoland transit, there was another part of the proposal that restaurant allies are calling the "pizza tax".

The bill would include a $1.50 delivery tax (on food, Amazon deliveries, etc.) on anything delivered with a motor vehicle. It's being called the "climate fee", the proceeds from which would go to Chicago area transit (80% of the fund) and downstate public transportation. It's coming around as post-COVID era funding is getting ready to expire.

State Sen. Donald DeWitte (R, West Dundee) said about the bill:

So we're going to force the entire state, from Waukegan to the Quad Cities to Bloomington and Springfield all the way to Cairo Illinois, [they] are now going to be on the hook to generate revenues to solve these problems created in Chicago

Are you going to see this $1.50 "climate fee" right now? No. It passed the Senate but failed to pass the House in time.

The delivery tax measure is expected to be taken up again by the Illinois legislature in the fall session. In order to pass, it would now need a three-fifths vote instead of a simple majority vote.