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| Legislative Watch | 
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Maryland |
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6/1/06-Gov. Robert Ehrlich has suggested that he might support a partial rollback of the state’s per-gallon tax on diesel and gasoline as a way to ease the burden on rising fuel prices.
The governor said a tax break isn’t the preferred option because the fuel tax helps pay for transportation projects around the state.
“It’s just an option … You have to be careful when you are talking about taking dollars out of that dedicate source of dollars,” Ehrlich told WJZ-TV in Baltimore.
He ruled out any full suspension of the state’s 24.25-cent-per-gallon diesel tax and 23.5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. The governor said such a move would “throw our entire transportation program into disarray.”
The governor doesn’t have the power to cut fuel taxes without approval of the General Assembly. Any tax break could only be considered if Ehrlich called a special session. If he doesn’t do that, lawmakers could take it up when the next regular session convenes in January.
The governor said a tax break isn’t the preferred option because the fuel tax helps pay for transportation projects around the state.
“It’s just an option … You have to be careful when you are talking about taking dollars out of that dedicate source of dollars,” Ehrlich told WJZ-TV in Baltimore.
He ruled out any full suspension of the state’s 24.25-cent-per-gallon diesel tax and 23.5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. The governor said such a move would “throw our entire transportation program into disarray.”
The governor doesn’t have the power to cut fuel taxes without approval of the General Assembly. Any tax break could only be considered if Ehrlich called a special session. If he doesn’t do that, lawmakers could take it up when the next regular session convenes in January.