Senator Marcellino To Assembly: “cut Tax On Gas Now”

With gas threatening to reach record high prices, and as the Summer months approach, Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R, Syosset) has called on the Assembly to pass S.5968A10289 which would cap the State’s gas tax at $2. In the last two years the Senate has passed this legislation twice.

"Gas prices are skyrocketing at the pump. Oil companies are reporting record profits. It is New York’s drivers who are lining the pockets of the big oil company executives, as well as the State’s coffers, with their hard earned dollars. This is wrong and something must be done to help the average driver make ends meet. The Assembly has still failed to do a thing but offer empty words and hollow promises," said Senator Marcellino.

The Senate energy plan which has been passed twice, would cap the State and local sales tax on gasoline at a taxable value of $2 per gallon. The cap would save motorists an estimated $400 million annually if gas prices remain near $3 per gallon.

"Driving for the people of Long Island is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Whether it is commuting to work, going to the store, or taking their children to the doctor, a car is critical to most people’s lives. I believe that New York State should not be treating residents as a cash cow. The Assembly needs to do the right thing and cap gas taxes as we approach the summer months," continued Senator Marcellino.

"I have always worked to return tax dollars to those who deserve them most - the taxpayers. At a time when the State is doing more with less, the right thing to do is to steer some of these dollars back into drivers’ wallets. But now, the ball is in the Assembly’s court and they need to stop talking and start acting. They need to pass the Senate’s plan to cap the gas tax," concluded Senator Marcellino.

The legislation is carried in the Assembly by Assemblyman Bob Reilly (A. 10289).