CHARLESTON, W.Va. –State Treasurer Larry Pack is again calling on Gov. Patrick Morrisey and state lawmakers to suspend West Virginia’s gas tax as fuel prices range from about $4 to more than $5 per gallon amid ongoing tensions involving Iran.
Pack, who appeared on MetroNews affiliate WMOV on Friday morning, said he is proposing a 90-day suspension of the state gas tax.
The state’s gas tax is currently 35 cents per gallon and helps fund the construction, repair and maintenance of roads, highways and other transportation infrastructure.
Pack said the suspension would provide West Virginia motorists with relief at the pump.
“It’s just a way to help working West Virginians, most West Virginians, they drive about 40 miles to work and back and if you’re having a per capita income of 50 or 60,000 a year, it’s tough, it’s stressful,” Pack said. “Again, just trying to give them some help, the state’s got the money, but where the money needs to be is in the pockets of our citizens.”
In April, House Democrats also proposed providing relief to residents by suspending the gas tax for 30 days.
Pack said other states, including Indiana and Kentucky, have taken similar steps and that West Virginia should do the same.
“A lot of folks are moving in that direction, West Virginia needs to get it in gear,” he said. “It would be a really short, special sessions, I’m sure that every senator and every legislator would vote for it, so again asking the governor to call them in, get it done, give the folks some relief.”
He said the state would be able to replenish road funding because it has the financial resources to do so.
“Our rainy day fund is more than adequately funded, our pension plans are funded, we got another $2 billion dollars sitting around state government in different places, so we got the money, the state’s got plenty of money to do this, and we should go ahead and get it done, and get it done fast,” Pack said.
Pack said state leaders need to act now because the gas tax is scheduled to increase in July 2027.
“The current law that we have on the books, because of these elevated gasoline taxes now, I think it’s next July that our gasoline taxes are going to go up, so our gasoline is basically a function of the price, so we’re going to hit people a lot harder if we don’t do something fast,” he said.