Senior senator from 13 urges governor to address rising gasoline prices

Senior senator from the 13th addressed the Senate to urge action as constituents face rising costs, calling particular attention to gasoline prices.

The senator recounted recent state actions intended to ease costs for residents, saying, “First, we passed a 27 and a quarter percent tax reduction a couple of years ago. And today, we've added to that with an additional 5% reduction in personal income tax... We have eliminated the state income tax for our seniors with respect to their social security.” He said those measures aim to address an “affordability crisis.”

Turning to energy costs, the senator said recent international events have pushed pump prices higher. “We've seen in the past few weeks since the war began in The Middle East, an increase in gasoline prices of almost 70¢ a gallon,” he said, and called on the governor to “do everything possible to help with this problem,” including exploring tax policy changes or other executive tools to make gasoline more affordable.

The senator's remarks were placed in the appendix of the Senate journal by unanimous consent as requested on the floor. No formal floor action followed the remarks; the body proceeded with concurrence votes on House amendments and other business.

Next steps: The senator asked the governor to examine available state options; the transcript records the senator’s appeal but does not record any immediate executive or legislative follow-up.