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Gas tax special session discussed, not ruled out

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Legislative Republicans aren’t ruling out a special session to address gas taxes, but they’re skeptical it’s the best way to address rising prices.

Calling a special session would be up to Governor Holcomb, not the legislature. But House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) says if Indiana did suspend the gas tax, up to a quarter of the savings would go to non-Hoosiers driving through the state. And Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) note there’s no guarantee gas prices would come down.

Huston says if legislators are going to pass additional relief from soaring prices, it should be targeted at Hoosiers, and as broadly as possible, reaching Hoosiers alarmed by their grocery bills, not just pump prices. He speculates one possibility might be a tax rebate to all Hoosier taxpayers, like the 125-dollar payments automatically triggered this year by the size of Indiana’s surplus.

But Huston says legislators should be wary of reacting to every national or international disruption. And he says inflation has raised the costs of the highway projects the gas tax funds, while creating uncertainty about where the economy is headed in the coming months.

Democrats have called for a special session to address the gas tax. They sought unsuccessfully to suspend the gas tax as part of a tax cut package which passed at the end of the regular session in March. That bill repeals a tax on utility bills starting in July, and cuts Indiana’s income tax rate, effective next year.

Most Republican legislators, including Huston and Bray, are already on record urging Holcomb to call a special session to consider abortion restrictions if the Supreme Court strikes down or scales back Roe v. Wade.

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2 comments

keith kline May 25, 2022 at 5:31 pm

first time I can remember that Huston and I have had the same opinion on anything. Repealing the property tax or cutting the sales tax to zero would be much more helpful.

Reply
Charles U Farley May 25, 2022 at 9:48 pm

Democrats just want to do this so they can declare the road fund insolvent so they can push for per-mile taxation. DO NOT TRUST THEM!

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