Yesterday, Chuck Morse and his Republican allies in Concord blocked a state gas tax holiday — ensuring that “the pain at the pump will continue” for Granite Staters.
New Hampshire Senate Republicans “tossed in the towel” on a gas tax holiday after Senate President Morse doubled down on his opposition to the plan to provide relief for Granite Staters in an interview Monday with The Pulse of NH’s Jack Heath. This comes just a week after Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans blocked immediate passage of Senator Hassan’s proposal to suspend the gas tax. By blocking a gas tax holiday and denying much needed relief, Senate President Morse has again shown how he will be a reliable ‘yes’ vote for the McConnell agenda — and Granite Staters will literally pay the price at the pump.
Read more coverage below:
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Despite plenty of political rhetoric bemoaning soaring prices at the pump, the State House campaign to suspend the state’s tax on unleaded and diesel fuel ran out of gas Wednesday. For the second time in three weeks, a Republican legislative leader tossed in the towel on the idea…
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Senate President and U.S. Senate GOP hopeful Chuck Morse of Salem went back-and-forth on the gas tax idea after calling a proposal by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., for a federal gas tax holiday through 2022 a “phony gimmick.” After initially supporting the concept, Morse suggested last Monday he was wavering again, saying, “But I think we heard the concerns from the public, and I’ve always had doubts about this.”
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A Hassan campaign spokesman said Morse was following the lead of GOP leaders in the U.S. Senate. “Just as Mitch McConnell’s Senate Republicans blocked a gas tax holiday, Senate President Morse played a central role in opposing this critical effort to bring down prices in New Hampshire,” Kevin Donohoe said. “Granite Staters will not forget that at a time of sky-high gas prices, Senate President Morse prevented a common sense, bipartisan proposal to lower costs.”
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The pain at the pump will continue. Republican lawmakers in Concord are giving up on the idea of a gas tax and instead are looking at property tax relief.
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Legislative leaders said it had become clear that a two-month holiday from the state’s 23-cent gas tax wasn’t going to happen. “There was a lot of opposition,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley.