RALEIGH – North Carolina lawmakers passed a temporary suspension of the state’s approximately 41-cent-per-gallon gasoline and diesel tax through Nov. 30, sending the measure to Gov. Josh Stein for his signature.
House Bill 3, titled “Relief at the Pump,” passed the House 111-1 and the Senate 41-0 on Oct. 7. The General Assembly’s bill history shows the measure was ratified and presented to the governor later that day.
If signed, the suspension would temporarily reduce a statewide operating cost for trucking fleets, farms and other fuel-intensive businesses. Axios Raleigh reported that fleet operators could see savings first, while fuel stations work through supplies purchased with the tax already included.
The full 41 cents may not reach retail customers. Axios cited a Penn Wharton Budget Model estimate that consumers could save about 30 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24 cents per gallon on diesel during a holiday of roughly the same length.
Nonpartisan legislative staff project that suspending collections will cost the state $362 million, according to Axios. Most fuel-tax revenue supports highway construction and maintenance, and lawmakers directed the state to replace the lost amount with reserve funds.
The immediate business effect therefore depends on when untaxed fuel reaches distributors and stations and how much of the tax reduction is passed through. The measure remained pending the governor’s signature as of Oct. 8.