AP
May 8, 2008
ALBANY - The state Senate has passed legislation to suspend state gasoline taxes for the summer - but the initiative has little traction because of opposition from the Assembly and Gov. Paterson.
The Republican-sponsored bill would eliminate the gas tax between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.
The proposal comes at the same time the federal government and presidential candidates are debating a federal "holiday" from gas taxes.
Senate Republicans claim the bill would save New Yorkers about 32 cents per gallon.
Opponents of the measure say they don't trust the oil industry not to jack up prices to eliminate any consumer savings.
Paterson has said New York can't afford to lose the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in the face of $20 billion of projected deficits.
Republicans claim that if federal, state and local governments all temporarily suspended their taxes for the summer, New Yorkers would save 65 cents per gallon at the pump.
