​Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is doubling down on his call for Gov. Hochul to suspend the state gas tax, as high gas prices continue to bear heavily on the budgets of working families. With some news sources reporting that the governor is instead considering providing New Yorkers with a gas rebate check, Hawley is rebuffing this proposal and insisting a suspension of the gas tax would be a more effective means of providing broad relief to consumers.

“When we talk about the impact of rising gas prices on consumers in New York, we need to bear in mind that nearly everything that makes it into a store gets there on a truck,” said Hawley. “The pain we feel at the pump radiates throughout our economy, and only by taking steps to directly lower the price of gasoline can we deliver meaningful relief to consumers and the businesses they patronize. Gov. Hochul has the power to do a lot of good for our state’s economy right now, so I sincerely hope she’ll address inflation at its roots by simply suspending the gas tax.”