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Legislative Watch 
LEGISLATIVE
10/17/05-Calls to suspend Arizona’s per-gallon tax on gasoline and diesel are falling on deaf ears.
Supporters of giving consumers some much-needed relief from high fuel prices have acknowledged that they lack the votes to get lawmakers back to the capitol this year to debate their plan.
To boot, Gov. Janet Napolitano, who can call the Legislature to convene for a special session, has shown little interest in what she said would be, at best, only a short-term fix.
As a result, consumers likely will have to wait until the regular legislative session begins in January before a tax break measure can be considered.
In the interim, Sen. Thayer Verschoor and Rep. Andy Biggs, both Republicans from Gilbert, said they would focus their attention on long-term solutions to high pump prices.
Possible solutions include reducing state regulation of refinery construction and getting the go ahead from the federal government to allow the state’s two largest counties to abandon requirements to use special fuels to reduce air pollution, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Neither lawmaker is interested in pursuing an effort to give the Arizona attorney general authority to prosecute wholesalers and retailers who take advantage of emergencies or disasters to charge excessive prices for consumer goods and services, such as gasoline and diesel fuel.
Verschoor and Biggs, both chairs of their chambers respective transportation panels, are against lowering the state’s speed limit to ease the demand for fuel. Instead, Biggs said drivers must decide whether to drive slower to conserve fuel.
