The state of Illinois is officially under a disaster declaration over diesel fuel availability and prices, based on how those issues will impact different aspects of the state’s economy – including farming.
The declaration, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday, came as President Donald Trump signed a nationwide executive order loosening restrictions on the use of red dyed diesel fuel – which is nearly identical to normal diesel fuel but is intended only for off road vehicles like farm equipment and is exempt from federal fuel taxes.
At a campaign rally in Nebraska, Trump explained the order.
Pritzker’s declaration came with a similar measure at the state level, allowing on-road use for farming and farm-related travel, removing penalties in that case.
But neither action taken by the politicians guarantees that those who buy red-dye fuel won’t have to pay the tax later on, as Rodney Knittel, associate director of transportation and infrastructure, explained.
Similarly, Trump’s order doesn’t guarantee that the tax is entirely removed, only that it be “deferred,” though it directs government officials to look for ways to legally forgive the deferred tax money that would later be owed.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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