(The Center Square) – ‘Affordability’ is a big political buzzword in Pennsylvania these days, and state Sen. Lisa Boscola thinks politicians should put their money where their mouth is and suspend the commonwealth’s gas tax as pump prices surge higher.
Pennsylvania’s 57.6-cents-per-gallon levy is the fourth-highest in the nation. On Thursday – the 20th day of the Israel-U.S. war with Iran that is disrupting world oil supplies – the overall price of gasoline in Pennsylvania reached an average of $3.82 a gallon, up from $3.66 a week ago and $3.10 one month ago, according to AAA.
“If we want to talk about affordability and keeping prices low for consumers, this is the way to go,” said Boscola, a Bethlehem Twp., Northampton County Democrat.
Boscola has filed a co-sponsorship memo, a precursor to filing a bill, that would have the state government suspend the tax for 60 days to help consumers and make up the lost revenue by issuing bonds. In an interview, Boscola pegged the amount of tax revenue from gasoline sales that would be forfeited by the state at $435 million, plus another $197 million in tax revenue from diesel fuel sales.
The idea was rejected by longtime House Republican Rep. Kerry Benninghoff of Centre County, minority chairman of the House Transportation Committee, who described it as a political gesture that would only hurt efforts to keep roads in good repair. The Democratic secretary of the same committee, Rep. MaryLouise Isaacson of Philadelphia, said she has not heard talk about a possible suspension.
PennDOT gets most of the revenue collected via the gas tax, and far smaller portions go to local governments, state police, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other agencies. PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell said the tax is assessed at the wholesale level – not at the pump – and so passing along of some or all of the tax to consumers is at the discretion of industry.
“This is why you can drive a short distance and find varied prices at different stations,” Campbell said.
PennDOT’s share is vital to road and bridge repair. Isaacson noted that Friday is the first day of spring – meaning pothole season will soon be in full swing – and residents want potholes repaired.
Benninghoff said Pennsylvania has roughly 44,000 miles of state-maintained roads and about 24,000 bridges under state responsibility. Those are huge numbers compared to other states, he said, and demand a dedicated and sizeable flow of money for repairs, refurbishment, or replacement.
“Politically, it is a nice gesture,” Benninghoff said of the tax suspension idea. “I am just not sure how helpful it is going to be in the long run.”
The challenge of road and bridge upkeep in Pennsylvania, he said, is “bigger than just a single bill that sounds good and makes me feel good.”
Boscola said that since the latest price run-up started, similar ideas have been floated in many places. She mentioned Connecticut, Georgia, and New York, and said a tax-suspension proposal also has been made at the federal level.
She stressed that it would be temporary. “Within 60 days, I am hoping this gets resolved,” she said of the international conflict affecting oil prices.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has not taken any formal position on any gas tax change proposal.
A spokesperson for Shapiro, Rosie Lapowsky, pointed to earlier public statements in which the governor blamed the gas price situation on President Donald Trump. The president, Shapiro said, did not have a plan to deal with such fallout from the conflict in the Middle East.
