There was a move in the House of Representatives on Beacon Hill to give some relief to drivers during the dramatic spikes in gas prices in the nation. That move was pushed by Spencer State Representative Peter Durant. His proposal called for the 25 cent a gallon gas tax to be suspended until such a time that prices dipped below $3.70 a gallon. On the floor of the House, Durant told lawmakers;
“We are seeing proposals that would sanction Russia. We don't want to import oil at a federal level. Great idea. But what this is doing is creating a burden for our taxpayers. They are the ones who are paying for this.”
Durant says the state budget could deal with the financial hit because of the federal pandemic relief money that still has yet to be spent in totality.
The proposal however was opposed by Representative William Strauss. He is the Co-Chairperson of the Transportation Committee.
“There's no question about the sincerity of the gentleman who offered this amendment. The question becomes, can you provide help in a reasonable way without jeopardizing other programs?”
The amendment which was offered as part of a supplemental budget was rejected on a voice vote.
It is unclear whether there will be additional efforts to try to provide relief to motorists.
(Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
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