Maryland to suspend gas tax as prices skyrocket? Top Democrats say state can't afford it

Gas prices have shot up almost 90 cents a gallon over the past month in Maryland, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, leading to an emergency push by Republican lawmakers to temporarily suspend the state's gas tax.

But several top Democrats are pumping the brakes, contending that they cannot support the measure.

How much is the gas tax? 

Maryland drivers pay $.46 for every gallon of gasoline in state taxes. 

The state's gas tax is tied to inflation and has risen almost 30% in the past four years.

"We're trying to get creative. We're trying to provide Marylanders with relief immediately," Delegate Jesse Pippy, a Frederick County Republican and Minority Whip, told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren Friday. "If you fuel up four times a month, it's 28 bucks—and that is literally more than two times the amount of savings that the majority party came up with for our energy bills."

The gas tax funds transportation infrastructure in the state. Pippy responded to concerns that Maryland may not be able to afford a 30-day tax holiday.

"The budget is $70 billion with a 'B,'" Pippy said. "Certainly, a gas tax holiday would impact some revenues, but not enough to change the trajectory of the state."

Republicans will face an uphill battle with Democrats' supermajority in Annapolis, but plan to push their proposal as part of a bill or through the budget process. 

"Here's an opportunity where Republicans and Democrats can work together to provide immediate gas pricing relief," Pippy said.

He noted the proposal "provokes an important conversation about affordability."

There are measures to do the same in other states, as prices have risen since the war with Iran caused uncertainty and disruption in oil markets.

Georgia plans to suspend the gas tax for 60 days. 

Republicans in California are facing opposition from Democrats in their effort to suspend that state's gas tax. 

Where do gas prices stand today?

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.83 in Maryland on Friday, AAA reports. 

It has risen 89 cents in just one month, from $2.94 in February. 

Diesel, critical for big rigs to transport goods, has jumped $1.44 a gallon in that time frame. 

You can check current gas prices here. 

Many drivers are feeling the drain on their wallets. 

"Prices have gotten ridiculous. It's jumping every day," Daryl Rice told Hellgren as he filled up his SUV Friday afternoon in Linthicum Heights, Anne Arundel County. 

Asked about the gas tax suspension, Rice said, "Hey, anything that helps. People are hurting out here. It's not only the gas. It's prices in general, so anything that can help folks in one area is going to be beneficial. I'm all for it."

Another driver, Nicole Dorsey, said her vehicle uses premium gas, and the surge in prices has left her frustrated. 

"It's just ridiculous, and I don't see how they expect people to go to and from work with these prices right now, and they're supposed to get worse because of the war. How are we supposed to be able to cope?" she asked. 

Still, she was wary of the impact on the roads if Maryland stopped collecting the gas tax, even temporarily.

"We get to reap the benefits now, but then we'll have to pay double later. If that's the case, then it's not worth it, and we might as well suck it up and deal with it," Dorsey said. 

Top Democrats oppose measure 

Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said he would not back a gas tax suspension.  

"It's one of these things where you can make a short-term decision that feels good in the moment, but it leads to long-term serious problems," Ferguson told reporters at a news conference in Annapolis on Friday. 

He said the state needs the money to maintain transportation infrastructure.

"This is a direct product of a federal government and a Trump administration that does not think before they act, and we are dealing with the consequences," Ferguson said. "In the meantime, while all of us are dealing with these higher costs, we in the state of Maryland still have to fund the transportation system, and so, to do a gas tax holiday would severely jeopardize the underpinning and infrastructure of our economy that relies on those investments."

A statement from Democratic Governor Wes Moore's office echoed that position. 

"If Maryland Republicans are serious about lowering costs, they should pick up the phone and call Donald Trump and tell him to end this missionless war—instead of asking Maryland taxpayers to help pay for it," wrote senior press secretary Ammar Moussa.

Republicans point out that the state approved a gas tax holiday in 2022 when Russia's war with Ukraine spiked prices, which received bipartisan support, including from Ferguson himself.

That gas tax holiday cost Maryland $98 million. 

"This bipartisan action will provide some relief from the pain at the pump, and it's possible because of the prudent financial steps that we have all taken together that have resulted in a record budget surplus," Republican Governor Larry Hogan said at the time. 

Ferguson noted the financial picture in Maryland is different today. 

"When we did it before, the prior time is when there was significant federal money that was available and flexible as a result of the COVID pandemic," he said. "There was just a greater deal of flexibility in the system. Right now, we are maximizing every dollar that's in state government."

Pippy responded, "If there's a way we can provide relief at the pumps, let's do it."

Stay with WJZ and CBS News Baltimore for updates on gas prices and the fate of the gas tax suspension proposal.