Legislators push to suspend New York gas tax

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Lawmakers are calling to temporarily suspend the state gas tax in an effort to save New Yorkers money as gas prices continue to climb. Sen. Peter Oberacker is sponsoring the New York Gas Tax Relief Act.

"These are costs that are just astronomical and we are asking people to basically buckle up? No. We need to give them some relief, " explained Oberacker. "We need to give them some hope, and that’s what we’re doing." If passed, the Central New York Republican's bill would suspend the state's gas tax until September.

Sources tell NEWS10 that New York’s tax on gasoline is about 48 cents per gallon, and diesel fuel is nearly 47 cents per gallon. "50 cents a gallon could save up to $1,200 a year for a family living in a city like Schenectady," explained Democractic Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara.

Santabarbara wants to pass similar legislation to suspend gas taxes, but his proposal does so for a full year. "What does this mean to the trucking industry? They have reached out to me, " said Santabarbara. "50 cents a gallon could save them more than $50,000 a year, just on average. That savings would be passed down directly to the consumers."

Oberacker said that should a suspension takes effect, he would like to see 100% of the gas tax to go to New York State's Dedicated Highway Bridge and Trust Fund once it resumes. The current tax system sets aside 17 cents per dollar for that program.

When asked about suspending gas tax in Rochester Monday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "It’s not settled yet. It’s absolutely under review."