Oregon gubernatorial candidate Jessica Gomez calls for ‘gas tax holiday’

MEDFORD, Ore. – Echoing similar sentiments across the country, a local entrepreneur and gubernatorial candidate is asking for Oregon to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax.

Republican candidate for Oregon governor Jessica Gomez said she’s urging the state to take immediate action on high gas prices by declaring a so-called “gas tax holiday.”

Currently, Oregon tacks on an extra $0.38 for every gallon sold. Some local jurisdictions add their own tax fees.

“Oregonians are hurting,” Gomez noted. “We have already endured a large increase in the cost of basic goods due to the highest inflation in decades we’ve experienced over the past year. The cost of fuel impacts everything we buy – when the cost of transporting groceries to stores increases, so do the costs for families to buy those groceries. A fuel tax holiday immediately would save a
family $7.60 every time they fill up a 20-gallon tank. That’s a couple of gallons of milk they now have to do without but could afford if those dollars don’t have to be spent on gas taxes. Oregon’s government is flush with cash due to high tax rates, setting records for revenue collecting despite the pandemic. It’s time for our political leadership to make things easier on working families for a change.”

The average cost for a gallon of regular in Oregon is $4.79, according to GasBuddy.com’s latest report. Suspension of the state’s gas tax would lead to Oregonians being charged $4.41 per gallon on average.

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Skip to content