With President Donald Trump's war in Iran pushing gas prices in Michigan closer to $5 a gallon, his party's nominee for the state's open U.S. Senate seat renewed an earlier call for a suspension of state and federal gas taxes to help consumers.
"Working families need leaders who will bring the costs of energy down," Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake said Sept. 17. "That’s why I’m calling for a suspension of both the state and federal gas tax, because hardworking Michiganders deserve relief at the pump.”
In May, Rogers noted he was supportive of a gas tax holiday as well.
As of Sept. 17, AAA Michigan reported that average per-gallon prices for regular unleaded in Michigan were $4.76, which was higher than the national average of $4.44.
Diesel has risen to $6.54 a gallon in the state. A year ago, before the war with Iran began and gasoline shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were affected, regular unleaded in Michigan was $3.19 and diesel was $3.72.
Michigan’s gas tax is 52.4 cents a gallon, and the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents a gallon.
Earlier this year, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer balked at the ideaof a gas tax holiday, while saying drivers shouldn't be forced to pay more at the pump because of the war. Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, meanwhile,have been unable to reach any agreement on a gas tax holiday, and the U.S. House left Washington on Sept. 16 until after the Nov. 3 election.
In both cases, monies raised by gas taxes go to fund road and bridge construction and any suspension could be hard to reverse with no end in sight to the war with Iran.
Rogers, who was endorsed by Trump, is running against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor in the Nov. 3 election to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, who is retiring. Rogers earlier this year downplayed the impact of hostilities in the Middle East on fuel prices and has been supportive of Trump's actions against Iran, which the administration has said was motivated by a desire to keep that country from developing a nuclear weapon.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mike Rogers renews call for gas tax holiday with fuel near $5 a gallon
