SPRINGFIELD - Dave Wetzel, who drove to the state Capitol from his Decatur home in his fryer waste-propelled 1986 Volkswagen, won the hearts of lawmakers as he told of his struggle with the "revenuers."

At a hearing of the Senate Revenue Committee on Thursday, state Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville, introduced Wetzel as an ingenious man, trying to do the right thing, who received an unnecessary visit from state revenue agents.

Watson, the Senate minority leader, told the nine senators that the Illinois Department of Revenue directed Wetzel to post a $2,500 bond to run his car on vegetable oil.

"I think it's over the top," Watson said.

The committee awarded Wetzel, 79, a stunning victory, unanimously approving a Senate bill that would remove the bond requirement for those who use cooking oil in their private vehicles. Eight weeks ago, to the day, Wetzel was first visited by agents, who told him he owed taxes for the five years he operated his car.

"That's great," Wetzel said after the vote, adding he was not counting his chickens.

The bill must be approved by the full Senate and House before becoming law. Watson said he expects a lot of support from other legislators.

Wetzel told the committee how revenue agents visited his home one morning, telling him he had to pay fuel tax on each gallon of vegetable oil he used. He was later told he had to apply for a supplier's license and post a bond, or he would be charged with a Class 3 felony. Wetzel declined to apply because he did not fit the revenue department's definition of a supplier, which includes storage capacity of at least 30,000 gallons.

"I have no problem paying the taxes, but somehow they've got to make it easy," Wetzel said.

Three other men who have converted their vehicles to run on vegetable oil also attended the hearing.

David Ogden of Shelbyville, owner-operator of a vegetable oil-propelled semitruck, told the senators he was also threatened by the department of revenue with Class 3 felony charges. Class 3 felonies are punishable by up to five years imprisonment.

In an interview, Ogden said an agent once stopped him on the highway, telling him to stop immediately, because he did not have a supplier's license. However, he had that supplier's license.

"They're harassing me," Ogden said. "He's out there swinging his badge around. I was legal, and he didn't even know it."

Ogden said a department of revenue official later asked him to register as a foreign corporation. After he complied, sending in a $175 registration fee, he was later told that was not necessary.

While the revenue department tried to find ways to tax the new technology in some cases, Jay F. Gaydosh of Lincoln had a different experience.

Gaydosh told the senators that when he called the revenue department in October 2005 to inquire about paying taxes to run vegetable oil in his Suburban, he received a short message from a woman at the agency.

"She told me that vegetable oil was not a recognized fuel source in Illinois," Gaydosh said. A state employee, he has been driving his SUV, with the slogan, "powered by vegetable oil," around Springfield ever since.

Larry Doll, director of legislative affairs for the department of revenue, told the committee that the department supports changes in the law.

"We just want to make it easy for people to pay taxes," Doll said.

Huey Freeman can be reached at hfreeman@herald-review.com or 421-6985.