Senator Kane Joins GOP Leadership In Calling For General Assembly To Cut Gas Taxes Now

Senator Rob Kane (R-32) joined Republican legislative leadership in calling for the General Assembly to take advantage of the ongoing special session to provide real relief at the pumps by actually cutting – rather than just halting a scheduled increase in – the state’s hidden gas tax.

“As we never formally adjourned the June 11th special legislative session, there is absolutely no excuse for refusing to simply cap the wholesale price on which the state’s Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax is based. Cancelling the scheduled July 1st 0.5 percent rate increase was a very good thing to do – but it was not enough. Unless the General Assembly actually restricts the amount of money this tax can generate, Connecticut residents will feel the pinch at the pumps because every increase in the wholesale price of gas generates a tax increase that is passed on to drivers. It is well past time for the General Assembly to provide meaningful relief,” said Senator Kane.

Senator Republican Leader John McKinney of Fairfield and House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero, Jr. of Norwalk recently called on the General Assembly’s Democrat majority leadership to resume the ongoing special session in order to cap the wholesale price at which the state’s Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax is assessed against. The Republican proposal calls for capping the wholesale price at which the tax is levied at $3.40 per gallon. Between February 6th and July 1st of this year, the per-gallon wholesale price of gas increased from $2.24 to $3.56.

“Governor Rell has already said that she supports capping the Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax. We know that this tax has generated $78 million more than was budgeted for in the just ended fiscal year. And, finally, the special session the General Assembly called last month is still open. There is absolutely no credible excuse for the General Assembly to continue to refuse to do the right thing. Connecticut families are struggling, and they are looking to us for help that it is within our power to provide. It is impossible for the Democrat majority to justify turning them away,” said Senator Kane.

Senator Kane noted that during the regular legislative session, Republicans offered an alternative balanced state budget proposal that included a provision to cap the Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax. However, the Democrat majority used technical maneuvers to prevent a debate and vote on the Republican proposal. During the June 11th special session, the Democrat majority again used technical maneuvers to prevent a debate and vote on the Republicans’ proposal to cap the Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax.