WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01) on March 23 called on Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to suspend the state gas tax to reduce the financial burden on New York taxpayers.

“For working-class families who lack public transportation options, they rely upon cars to get to work, drive their children to school, or transport family members to doctors’ appointments or grocery shopping,” the lawmakers wrote. “This is particularly true for New York’s rural communities and transportation starved counties. Suspending the state gas tax would provide a tremendous financial relief to New Yorkers at a time when our country is facing record-high inflation and petroleum prices.”

New York State has one of the top ten highest gas taxes in the country, with residents paying 33.30 cents a gallon in state gas taxes alone. In total, New Yorkers pay 66.62 cents per gallon in taxes at the pump while the national average is 57.09 per gallon. The American Automobile Association calculates the average price for gas in New York is $4.362 per gallon as of March 22, 2022, which is 12 cents higher than the national average.

The lawmakers added: “Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the FY 2023 Executive Budget is a record-breaking $216 billion dollars. Before increasing spending, we urge you to consider improving the lives of New Yorkers by suspending the state gas tax and returning money back to the taxpayers. We also believe Biden and elected leaders in Albany need to ramp up our domestic energy production to increase supply and drive down costs.”

Full text of the letter is available online: https://adobe.ly/3qqMxEs.