BALTIMORE — Maryland Republicans on Thursday unveiled plans to introduce emergency legislation suspending the state’s gas tax for 30 days, adding that the move would provide immediate relief as fuel prices spike amid the war in Iran.

Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said he aims to bring the proposal to the Senate floor as soon as Friday, requiring a suspension of chamber rules to fast-track the measure. In the House, Minority Leader Jason Buckel and Minority Whip Jesse Pippy said they plan to pursue the tax pause through an amendment to the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, which passed the Senate on Wednesday and is expected to reach the House floor next week.

GOP leaders also said they plan to send a joint letter to Gov. Wes Moore urging him to support the tax holiday.

The proposal comes as gas prices in Maryland have surged. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the state reached $3.82 Thursday, according to the AAA — up 30 cents from a week ago and nearly 92 cents higher than a month ago, before the conflict began.

“It’s really the only thing we can do to really impact gas prices in the short term,” Buckel said. “We hope that by April, by May, what’s going on in Iran has largely concluded favorably for the United States … and markets are fairly normal, and in the meantime, we’ve saved Maryland residents quite a bit of money.”

Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready estimated the temporary suspension would save Maryland drivers about $7 per fill-up. If approved, the policy would take effect immediately upon receiving Moore’s signature.

Buckel emphasized that the policy would not significantly harm state finances. “I don’t think it will cause a massive fiscal hole to the Transportation Trust Fund,” he said, adding that a limited, 30-day pause is manageable.

A similar measure was enacted in 2022, when former Gov. Larry Hogan signed a 30-day gas tax holiday following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That policy reduced gas prices by nearly 40 cents per gallon within days, but ultimately cost the state about $98 million in lost revenue. Ready told reporters Thursday that the long-term budget impact of Hogan’s gas tax was “negligible,” adding the lost revenue was largely offset over the course of the fiscal year.

The renewed push comes as lawmakers work to finalize a $70.8 billion state budget that closes a $1.4 billion shortfall. Revenue from the gas tax is directly funneled to the Transportation Trust Fund, a key funding source for infrastructure and transit projects.

The proposal quickly drew pushback from Moore’s administration, which said the plan would worsen the state’s fiscal challenges while failing to address the root cause of rising prices.

“Marylanders need real relief, not a 30-day gas tax suspension that would blow a $100 million hole in our transportation budget at the same time we’re working to close Maryland’s budget shortfall,” press secretary Ammar Moussa told The Baltimore Sun in a Thursday text message. “If Maryland Republicans are serious about lowering costs, they should pick up the phone and call Donald Trump and tell him to end this missionless war — instead of asking Maryland taxpayers to help pay for it.”

Moussa added that the conflict is “costing more than a billion dollars a day and driving up the price of oil, fuel, and everyday goods.”

Still, Republicans pushed back on that framing, accusing the governor of focusing on national politics rather than immediate state-level relief. “I haven’t heard Governor Moore really say anything about gas prices, other than ‘I blame Trump,’” Buckel said. “We’re not D.C. politicians. What we care about is trying to save Marylanders more money.”

It remains unclear whether the proposal will gain traction in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. Hershey said Republican leaders have not directly discussed the measure with legislative leaders but plan to formally press the issue in the coming days.

Senate President Bill Ferguson’s office declined to comment, telling The Sun that Ferguson has not yet reviewed the legislation. House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk could not immediately be reached for comment.

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