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Democrats in the House of Delegates held a press conference Wednesday to call for a special session to address skyrocketing gas prices.
They have crafted a bill to suspend the state’s fuel tax for 30 days through the end of the year whenever the gas price climbs above the average statewide price in February – just before the U-S went to war with Iran.
According to a summary provided by the delegates, the bill would create “a temporary, market-based mechanism to suspend or reinstate the motor fuel excise tax in West Virginia based on changes in wholesale fuel prices during 2026.”
If passed, it would direct the Tax Commissioner to establish a baseline wholesale price using the average costs of fuel during February 2026, and then calculate a wholesale price based on fuel prices each month. Those two figures would be used to determine whether a tax would be collected or suspended on a month-to-month basis:
Any suspension would eliminate just over 35-cents per gallon. It would also halt up to $40 million that currently goes into the state’s Road Fund each month. Minority leader Sean Hornbuckle said a surplus would cover those funds.
“The cost of the gas has risen because of a war – that is a state of emergency. And so we also know that we would be able to exercise a rainy-day fund if we needed to backfill anything for our roads,” Hornbuckle said.
A spokesman for Gov. Patrick Morrisey said his office will review any proposal to lower costs for citizens but did not specify whether the governor is currently considering a special session.