The Carolinas Associated General Contractors report some legislators are pushing to lower or cap the gas tax while the General Assembly reconvenes for what is expected to be a short session of only a couple of days or so.
The issue did not surface, despite reports that it could, when the NC General Assembly recently held a brief session. That’s partly because of help from NC Go, a coalition of which Carolinas AGC is a founding member, in leading efforts in getting nearly 2,000 emails to legislators urging them not to cap the gas and jeopardize road funding. The email messages centered around the fact that capping the gas tax would place more than 7,000 jobs at risk and set our state back just when we need to be fueling job growth and investing in infrastructure that attracts and retains businesses
House Majority Leader Paul “Skip” Stam, R-Wake, said some people seem to want the gas tax lowered while increasing road funding. The tax is dedicated for road building and maintenance. In July, the tax went up to 35 cents per gallon, one of the highest gas taxes in the nation. A portion of the tax rises or falls, every six months, based on the wholesale price of gas.
Consideration of the issue might require some procedural tricks by legislators. The adjournment resolution approved by legislators earlier this month limits the legislation that can be considered in the upcoming reconvened session. Stam said the issue, if considered, might have to be part of a conference report already being negotiated by legislators. Read More.