Connecticut lawmakers unanimously passed legislation to suspend the state’s fuel tax, and Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to quickly sign the measure. But it appears freight operations and truckers will again be treated like second-class citizens. Initial reports indicate the state will continue to tax diesel.
“The gas tax cut passed the legislature… I’m proud it gained unanimous bipartisan support and moved swiftly to give folks some relief at the pump. When I sign the bill into law today, we’ll become just the third state in the nation to suspend the gas tax,” Gov. Lamont reportedly said. “That’s a good start.”
In a rare bipartisan move, the Connecticut House of Representatives voted 143-0 to scuttle the 25 cents per gallon fee, with eight members reportedly absent. In the state’s Senate, both major parties agreed to an April 1 start date with a 33-0 tally. The country may be deeply divided on wide-reaching issues, but the working families are suffering from record prices at the pump. Connecticut currently enjoys a massive budget surplus, and lawmakers appear determined to provide relief for residents only.
“People are feeling the pinch of a 40-year high in inflation. I think we can do better,” Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly reportedly said. “It’s a beginning but by no means the end in our opinion. From a sales tax perspective our initial proposal in January was for 300 million of tax relief and what we passed today was $5 million. So, we still have about 295 million of tax holiday to go around.”
Despite the fact truckers are struggling with record-high diesel prices and deliver more than 70 percent of the nation’s goods and materials, lawmakers did not address a cost issue that only exacerbates 40-year high inflation rates.
“If we don’t get the tax break, it will come back to you guys. Now all the stuff in the stores is going to go up in price. It’s going to hurt everyone overall, basically,” trucker Rob Quiron reportedly said.
The New England state also joined neighboring Rhode Island in levying fees against truckers who haul goods and materials to local communities. After Rhode Island installed truck-only tolling systems, Connecticut followed suit by passing highway usage fees. The measure is expected to pickpocket truckers to the tune of $90 million annually beginning Jan. 1, 2023. Adding insult to injury, Connecticut lawmakers rolled out sales tax holidays that give consumers a break on clothing and sneakers under $100.
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal went on the record urging fellow members of Congress to pass similar measures, without mentioning the diesel issue.
“Congress should follow Connecticut’s lead and provide additional support to families across the country by taking immediate action to suspend the federal gas tax,” Sen. Blumenthal reportedly said.
Congress and the White House also backtracked on funding safe overnight parking through the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending package. Safe parking was reportedly removed from the measure during negotiations.
Sources: landline.com, wfsb.com, fox61.com
Why do truckers and these companies continue to deliver to the northeast states that treat truckers like crap. This is why I got off the road after 28 years. Maybe start charging a tariff to deliver to those states. I don’t even travel to those states for any vacation time. I seen of the northeast as a trucker to last my life time.
I agree left after 37 yrs.
Wow, a whole 25 cents off. What a joke.
Connecticut will soon start to feel the pain. When there new discriminatory tax starts the people in that crap state will feel it in their pockets.
It has to start with drivers and logistics companies refusing to do business with these locations. Period. Once the goods are no longer rolling in and the politicians are being absolutely torched by the citizenry demanding solutions, they’ll have no choice but to answer for what they’ve been doing to our industry for decades.