Christie Objects to Democrats’ New Gas Tax Hike

A new Democratic plan to raise the state’s gas tax by 23 cents a gallon while cutting other taxes is “dead on arrival,” Gov. Chris Christie said Monday.

Christie, a Republican, shot down a proposal unveiled Friday by Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

“I reviewed this weekend the Democrats’ latest plan to fund the Transportation Trust Fund through a massive gas tax hike that does not represent tax fairness to the residents of New Jersey,” Christie said in a statement. “Therefore, I cannot support it.”

The legislators’ plan called for raising the fuel tax to 37.5 cents a gallon from 14.5 cents while providing $2 billion a year for the transportation fund.

It also phases out the estate tax over 3 1/2 years and calls for increasing a tax credit for low-income families.

Christie and Prieto agreed last month to raising the gas tax but only by cutting the sales tax to 6 percent over nearly 2 years. The Assembly passed the plan, but Sweeney and other senators balked, failing to take up the bill.

This article appeared in print on page 36 of the July 27th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.