|
9/6/05-Responding to pressure from Pennsylvania residents about rising fuel costs, Gov. Ed Rendell said last week he may ask state lawmakers to temporarily lift the state’s per-gallon fuel tax.
In the meantime, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has temporarily waved regulations that prohibit commercial haulers that transport diesel fuel and gasoline from operating more than 11 hours per day. Rendell requested the waiver.
The waiver, which remains in effect until Sept. 14, only applies to intrastate truckers.
Rendell said he is also keeping a close eye on what drivers are paying to fuel up.
“We are monitoring what happens to prices. If you ask me today, ‘Do I think that the price increase justifies that?’ The answer is no, but we are going to monitor prices and see where it goes,” Rendell told the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Lifting the tax on fuel would require legislative approval. The General Assembly is not scheduled to return to the capitol until the end of September.
The governor said if he decided to pursue a tax holiday, he could call a special session at anytime to tackle the fuel tax question.
A loss of tax revenue wouldn’t come without a cost, Rendell said.
“There’s a price that we pay if we do that,” Rendell told news reporters Sept. 1 at a Harrisburg service station. He said it would “take a big hunk” out of the $2 billion the tax generates each year for road and bridgework throughout the state.
In addition, Rendell said he is closely watching for reports of price gouging and whether a fuel shortage is approaching.
If supply is restricted enough, the governor said he could enact a “fuel emergency” in the state. Declaring a fuel emergency would give him the authority to prosecute price gougers, rollback prices and institute certain rationing efforts, the Enquirer reported.
In the meantime, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has temporarily waved regulations that prohibit commercial haulers that transport diesel fuel and gasoline from operating more than 11 hours per day. Rendell requested the waiver.
The waiver, which remains in effect until Sept. 14, only applies to intrastate truckers.
Rendell said he is also keeping a close eye on what drivers are paying to fuel up.
“We are monitoring what happens to prices. If you ask me today, ‘Do I think that the price increase justifies that?’ The answer is no, but we are going to monitor prices and see where it goes,” Rendell told the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Lifting the tax on fuel would require legislative approval. The General Assembly is not scheduled to return to the capitol until the end of September.
The governor said if he decided to pursue a tax holiday, he could call a special session at anytime to tackle the fuel tax question.
A loss of tax revenue wouldn’t come without a cost, Rendell said.
“There’s a price that we pay if we do that,” Rendell told news reporters Sept. 1 at a Harrisburg service station. He said it would “take a big hunk” out of the $2 billion the tax generates each year for road and bridgework throughout the state.
In addition, Rendell said he is closely watching for reports of price gouging and whether a fuel shortage is approaching.
If supply is restricted enough, the governor said he could enact a “fuel emergency” in the state. Declaring a fuel emergency would give him the authority to prosecute price gougers, rollback prices and institute certain rationing efforts, the Enquirer reported.