House bill offers smaller NC gas tax reduction than Senate

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina House Republicans are making their own changes to the state gasoline tax that would cause an immediate price drop at the pump. But the decrease is not as deep as the Senate proposed last month.

The House Finance Committee voted Tuesday for legislation to reduce the tax by 1.5 cents per gallon to 36 cents starting April 1 through the end of the year.

The state would then keep using the current formula – based in part on wholesale prices – to recalculate the tax annually.

The Senate proposal would cause a 2.5-cent reduction and change the formula.

Democrats reminded their colleagues Tuesday that the tax would actually fall much further this summer if lawmakers did nothing. It’s now forecast to fall to 30 cents.

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