ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Republicans in Annapolis are pushing for relief at the gas pump as the U.S. conflict with Iran continues to drive prices up across the country.
Maryland Republican leadership say they are working across both chambers to temporarily suspend the state’s nearly 46 cents-per-gallon gas tax, arguing the move would give drivers immediate savings as costs continue to climb.
According to AAA, which tracks daily fuel prices, Maryland’s average gas prices reached $3.822 a gallon on March 19, up from $3.524 a week ago and $2.906 a month ago. The conflict with Iran began on Feb. 28, and ongoing hazards to shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz have resulted in the disruption of global oil supplies.
In a statement released Thursday by the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Republican Caucus, lawmakers say they attempted to introduce emergency legislation late in the session that would temporarily suspend Maryland’s gas tax. Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey says procedural hurdles got in the way, however, including the need for full Senate cooperation to suspend the rules to introduce the proposal.
“We made a good-faith effort to introduce emergency legislation in the Senate to provide immediate relief to motorists,” Hershey said. “Unfortunately, there are several procedural hurdles to overcome to formally introduce a bill this late in the session. The suspension of the rules required the cooperation of the entire Senate, which we were unable to secure.”
But while that path appears blocked for now, Republicans say there is still a way forward in the House.
House Minority Leader Jason Buckel says lawmakers are now looking to push the proposal through budget amendments, specifically the state’s Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act.
“The House still has a path to get this done through the budget, and we intend to use it,” Buckle said on Thursday. “Cutting the gas tax for a month will likely save the average Marylander more than the Democrat’s energy plan, Marylanders should not have to wait for relief.”
Under the proposal, suspending that tax could lower prices by about the same amount as the tax, saving drivers roughly $7 per fill-up and an estimated $30 to $40 over the course of a month, according to Republicans. Lawmakers pointed to a similar move in 2022, when a temporary gas tax holiday was approved following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a measure they say quickly translated into lower prices at the pump.
“This is a proven, straightforward way to deliver relief,” Hershey said. “We have done this before, and we know it works.”
In addition to the legislative effort, Senate and House Republicans say they plan to send a joint letter to Governor Wes Moore urging his support and encouraging swift action.
WBOC reached out to Governor Moore’s office Thursday, who argued that the proposal would cost the state $100 million in revenue and instead urged Republicans to petition for an end to the Iranian conflict.
“Marylanders need real relief, not a 30-day gas tax suspension that would blow a $100 million hole in our transportation budget at the same time we’re working to close Maryland’s budget shortfall,” a spokesperson for Moore said in a statement. “If Maryland Republicans are serious about lowering costs, they should pick up the phone and call Donald Trump and tell him to end this missionless war—instead of asking Maryland taxpayers to help pay for it.”