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Rutherford: Trucking industry numbers show job loss

Tuesday May 11, 2004 Posted 4:00 p.m.
Springfield - State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac) is disappointed in the loss of trucking jobs in Illinois due to last year-s excessive tax and fee hikes on trucking companies.

The Mid-West Truckers Association announced last week that truck registrations in the Land of Lincoln dropped by almost 17,000 this year, while the number of registered trucking companies decreased by more than 2,700.

-This is proof that the tax and fee hikes directly impact jobs and that impacts our working families throughout Illinois,- said Rutherford. -We cannot afford to let any more jobs cross state lines at the expense of Illinois- working families.-

According to the Mid-West Truckers Association, the steep drop in registered truck registration in Illinois coincides with a sharp increase in truck registrations in neighboring states.

Rutherford supports swift passage of the repeal in House Bill 412, a plan to eliminate the new commercial distribution fees placed on trucks and restore the rolling stock exemption as it existed prior to last year-s changes.

He says this is just one example from more than 300 new tax and fee hikes approved last year and another 200 proposed for this year.