Two legislative proposals will be introduced in the Pennsylvania House with the same goal – to reduce the pain at the gas pump for Keystone State residents.

State senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna) plans to introduce legislation to suspend the state gas tax for the remainder of the year. “Pennsylvanians need a break,” he wrote in a co-sponsorship memo sent to members of the Pennsylvania Senate. “I believe that we have an obligation as elected officials to consider the challenges facing our constituents and seek meaningful solutions. To this end, I will be introducing legislation to suspend the state’s Liquid Fuels Tax [commonly referred to as the gasoline tax] through the end of calendar year 2022.”

Fellow Democrat Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) also plans to bring a proposal to House to temporarily waive the State’s $0.576/gallon Liquid Fuels Tax from Independence Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend – a period of 67 days. “It is beyond time that we provide relief to all Pennsylvania families who are bearing the brunt of cost increases at the gas pump. This financial strain left unchecked, will mean less spending during a season that usually sees the highest rate of tourism/travel across the Commonwealth.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) has proposed Senate Bill 10 that proposes lowering the state’s liquid fuels tax by one-third through the end of the year. Based on his estimates, this would reduce the state gasoline tax by nearly 20 cents per gallon. Taken together, the two tax cuts could reduce total fuel taxes on consumers by nearly 50 percent. SB10 currently resides in the Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by Wayne Langerholc Jr. (R-Cambria)

The current average price in Pennsylvania for a gallon of regular gas is $5.063 – up three cents in a week and 45 cents from one month ago.