March 24, 2022- 8:08 p.m.
The vote failed 29-11 and has already failed in the House without a roll call vote. Most of the eight Democrats who voted in favor of the suspension are from border districts.
A forced vote on a proposal to suspend the 24-cent gas tax in Massachusetts overwhelmingly failed in the state Senate, just one day after Connecticut’s Legislature passed its own suspension.
Tarr explained on the Senate floor that the proposal would only extend through Labor Day, during the state’s peak travel season. He added that the proposal also includes a “very straightforward” provision to backfill the funding lost from the gas tax from the state’s surplus revenues. Excess revenue topped $700 million, according to Tarr.
In opposition to the measure, Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, noted that gas prices have already begun to fall, down nine cents a gallon over last week.
He added that the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, which gas tax funds are earmarked for, would lose $400 million. If the state were to backfill that with surplus funds, as Republicans proposed, “rest assured we’ve heard loud and clear that Wall Street and the bond rating agencies would not look favorably upon that,” Rodrigues said.
Although Rodrigues acknowledged that Bay Staters are “hurting,” he echoed other Democrats’ past remarks, calling the proposal a “gimmick.” He pointed to the $500 checks approved by the Baker administration that low-income workers in Massachusetts will receive in the coming days.
“It’s providing real relief, not providing hope that maybe by lowering the gas tax, they might see some of that savings realized the next time they fill up at the gas tank,” he said.
Gas tax suspension proposals have gained steam in recent days, as Connecticut’s Legislature sent its version of the bill to Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk, which he is expected to sign. The gas tax has also been suspended in Georgia and Maryland. Similar measures are also being discussed in Florida, West Virginia, Ohio and California, where lawmakers have proposed using the state’s budget surplus to provide all drivers with a $400 gas rebate.
State Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Sutton, whose district borders Connecticut, worried that constituents will simply cross the border for lower gas prices, also drawing away local business.
“The businesses who depend upon those people visiting them, coming into their store and purchasing other products, are going to find themselves at the short end of the stick,” he said.
