State Rep. Matt Hall, of Marshall, today led efforts to approve a plan that will provide people with real relief in the face of surging gas prices.

House Bill 5570 establishes a six-month suspension on the state’s gas and diesel fuel tax of roughly 27.2 cents for every gallon starting April 1. The adjustment comes as inflation and energy decisions made by Democrat leaders deal devastating blows to the budgets of hard-working people, families and seniors on fixed incomes.

“People are seeing incredible rises in costs every time they go to the pump,” Hall said. “Many people I talk with – from parents who are driving their kids to and from school to workers with longer commutes – are wondering how they’re going to be able to afford these increases. This plan helps provide them with answers in the form of lower prices.”

Hall underscored the importance of using surplus funds to backfill vital tax revenue through the budget process. Doing so will ensure local communities have resources for repairs on roads people use every day. Prior to the bill’s approval, Hall voted for an amendment to the plan which would have paved a way for backfilling.

“People desperately need relief now and that’s what this plan gets done, but lower gas prices only do so much. If you hit a pothole and end up in the shop because communities don’t have the funding to get out and fix them, you’re still spending your hard-earned money,” Hall said. “I would have liked to see a commitment to replacing this revenue today, but I am fully committed going forward to making sure our communities are held harmless and have what they need to fix roads from driveway to highway.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently called on Congress to approve legislation to suspend the federal gas tax, but the Legislature’s approach to the state’s gas tax would provide more savings to more people over the six-month period and an estimated $750 million combined overall. With the current fuel tax rate, purchasing 25 gallons of gas per week costs the average driver $6.80 in Michigan gas tax. Whitmer’s proposal to temporarily lift the federal gas tax would only save drivers $4.60 on the same amount of gas. The average driver would immediately see 39 percent more tax savings compared to a federal gas tax suspension.

Hall also voted today in support of a resolution calling on Gov. Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel to stop their efforts to shut down Line 5, which transports propane and other fuel.

“A big reason we have this problem is because of wild Democrat policies hellbent on driving us away from energy independence,” Hall said. “They have advocated for cutting back on drilling, shutting down pipelines, and other things and now we are seeing massive price increases because we simply don’t have the resources. We need to recalibrate our approach to emphasize common sense, meet needs and lower costs.”