Youngkin Says Virginia Will ‘Work Hard’ to Suspend Gas Tax

Virginia’s governor is once again proposing a suspension of the state’s gas tax as prices at the pump remain near record highs.

“It’s time for us to give Virginians a break, and we’re going to work hard to suspend the gas tax,” Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) said in a Tuesday interview with Fox News Radio. “I’ve got to send a bill down to our legislature, which I’ll call back into special session, and we’re going to get them working on this.”

“It’s time to get Virginians back on the road, and gas prices are just way too high,” he said. “The gas prices in Virginia ran up a full dollar prior to Russia invading Ukraine, from when Joe Biden came in – to just before Russia invaded Ukraine, it’s gone up another 80 cents since then.”

Saying that high gas prices were “stealing” hard-earned money from Virginian’s paychecks, Youngkin said the state has budget surpluses and can afford to give Virginians a break at the pump. The state’s gas tax is about 16 cents per gallon.

Youngkin proposed a 90-day gas holiday last week, which was immediately shot down by Democrats.

“I was surprised he didn’t have his announcement with the tooth fairy standing next to the magic money tree,” State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Dumfries) said at the time. “Because, you know, to build things in northern Virginia it costs money, and we’re way, way, way behind on building infrastructure in northern Virginia, whether you’re talking about metro extensions or road widenings, intersections – we have a one billion dollar bike plan we need to implement in the DMV.”.. (Excerpt from the Virginia Star)