A bill introduced in the Illinois House in October would exempt textbooks from sales tax.

House Bill 4742 was written by the Illinois Student Government at the University of Illinois - Champaign and sponsored by Representative Rick Winkel (R-Champaign) of the 103rd district..

According to ISG calculations, the bill would save taxpayers $17.5 million, based on an estimate of each student spending $655 on texts per year.

On a $55 text, an average price according to Bookstore Manager Lauren Sandberg, avoiding the 6 ½ percent tax would save $3.58. For a full load of five classes, the savings would amount to a minimum of $20 a semester.

The ISG did not expect action on the bill this term, and Sandberg hesitated to predict a timeline.

"It may take a long time for the bill to go through considering the sales tax on gasoline and now competing with other taxes to be eliminated," Sandberg said.

As introduced, the bill applies only to texts purchased through public schools, not through private schools. Both the ISG president, Andrew Hammill, and Rep. Winkel have said the private school issue needs to be addressed.

Sandberg said bills exempting texts from sales taxes have been adopted by about ten other states.

Passage of the bill would have no direct impact on the IVCC Bookstore, Sandberg said, although students would still have to pay the ¼ percent of LaSalle County sales tax.