House Rejects Bill To Extend Gas Tax Holiday, Which Ends Next Week
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Republican lawmakers failed Thursday to extend Maryland's gas tax holiday after Democrats in the House of Delegates on Thursday rejected the bill.
Washington County Republican Brenda Thiam proposed the amendment which would have extended the holiday by 45 days..
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, a Democrat running for governor, called on Gov. Larry Hogan and legislators to extend the state's gas tax holiday by 60 more days Thursday.
The 30-day gas tax holiday that was passed last month is set to expire April 16. Franchot has advocated for a 90-day suspension, calling the existing schedule "overly conservative."
At the Thursday Board of Public Works meeting, Franchot made another appeal.
"I still firmly believe that the gas tax holiday set to expire just 10 days from now could be extended for another 60 days," he said, with Gov. Hogan beside him. "This could be done very simply, just put it in the budget. The governor and the legislative leaders have the authority to extend the existing gas tax holiday for 60 days."
Franchot said last month a 90-day holiday would provide an estimated $250 million in relief for residents. House Republicans said a 45-day extension would cost the state $150 million.
When Gov. Larry Hogan signed the 30-day holiday into law on March 18, the average price for a gallon of gas in Maryland was $4.16, about 10 cents below the national average, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. As of Thursday, it stands at $3.77 now that the state has paused its collection of $0.36 per gallon. The national average is $4.15 a gallon.
