State Rep. Carter Opposes Gas Tax Hike

When it comes to our state government, there isn’t a lot that residents of the many different political persuasions can agree on—but the cost associated with filling our gas tanks is undoubtedly one of them.

 Today, Connecticut, at .65 cents per gallon, has among the biggest gas tax totals in the nation and the largest in New England.

 And that figure could soon increase.

 The per-gallon tax total you pay at the pump represents three separate taxes. First, there’s the federal tax—a shade over 18 cents. There’s also a state “gross receipts” tax levied as a percentage of the wholesale price. The rate is 7 percent. When the wholesale price jumps, it creates a state revenue windfall.   Today, that tax equals 22 cents per gallon.

 Last, there’s a fixed 25-cent tax—and Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed increasing it by 3 cents to a whopping 28 cents per gallon.

 Do you think we pay enough in gasoline tax already? I certainly think so, and an overwhelming majority of respondents (a mix of Republican, Democrat and independent voters) to a recent Quinnipiac University poll said they don’t like the governor’s plan.

 Some government bureaucrats and longtime politicians will tell you, the taxpayer, that the proposed increase “is just a few pennies.”

 But as the folks who took that poll know, a penny or two here and there can create a financial headache by month’s end.

 Our household budgets are tight enough already. I’d like to let you know that I’m pushing back on the governor’s proposals to implement fresh tax increases such as this gas tax hike.

 I’m working with my colleagues at the Capitol to draft alternatives to the governor’s plan, and I look forward sharing them with you soon.

 Rep. Dan Carter

Bethel, Danbury, Redding

800-842-1423