Stuart Backs Executive Order Mitigating Diesel Costs for Farmers

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, supports Gov. JB Pritzker’s swift and meaningful action to address outrageous diesel fuel prices as farmers close out harvest season through an executive order and disaster proclamation.

“One year ago, the average gallon of diesel fuel cost $3.75 in the Metro East. Now, the average is $6.63. Diesel costs hit our area’s all-time high last month at $6.80 on average,” said Stuart. “Fuel and oil prices are hitting historic highs because of the negligence of the federal government, and our farmers are paying the price.”

Declaring a diesel fuel crisis through a 30-day disaster proclamation allows state and local agencies to take swift, necessary action to respond to the current diesel shortage and exuberant costs. The proclamation removes state penalties from using dyed diesel on roads and highways, an extension of the Illinois Harvest Permit program, and increased opportunity of various state agencies to instate necessary measures to offset the crisis.

The governor’s executive order allows dyed diesel for use in farm vehicles on highways. Dyed and regular diesel are chemically identical, but the former is dyed red to mark it as off-road fuel for tractors, irrigation pumps and other machines. Allowing the use of dyed diesel on highways will allow farmers to use fuel they already possess in vehicles transporting their crops rather than just for off-road machines.

“These measures cannot fix the entire problem; this is a state’s solution to a problem created and prolonged by the federal government,” said Stuart. “The numbers show our increased gas prices are directly linked to this president’s unconstitutional and nonsensical ‘war in Iran,’ so we have to do what we can to support farmers across Illinois as their livelihood hangs in the balance.”

The penalty for using dyed diesel on roadways has been waived, effective immediately through Dec. 31, 2026. The disaster proclamation is effective immediately through Nov. 5, 2026.

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