Porter: ‘Asleep at the wheel for months with no roadmap for our state’
INDIANAPOLIS – Amid Democratic advocacy, public pressure has mounted in recent weeks for Indiana’s Republican leadership to take state action and provide Hoosiers with relief from record-high gas prices and a drastically rising cost of living. State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement in response to this week’s Republican comments on this proposed measure:
“You’ve got to be kidding me. ‘We could consider’ measures to provide relief from inflation? Hoosier families have been crushed under the weight of skyrocketing gas prices for months, yet Gov. Holcomb merely suggested he might introduce a vague plan in June without sharing any details. Hoosiers need relief now and have needed relief since March when I first issued this call. House Democrats have a plan to provide much needed relief to Hoosiers at the gas pump now, but all we’re hearing from Republican leadership is excuse after excuse for why suspending the state gas taxes won’t work despite having no plan of their own.
“We had all 150 members of the General Assembly at the Statehouse earlier this week. All the governor had to do was sign a piece of paper saying that we could take action to responsibly suspend the state gas taxes. But he didn’t. Instead, he and Statehouse Republicans gave Hoosiers lip service and platitudes without a promise of action.
“As I proposed months ago, one alternative to suspending the gas tax would be adding extra funds to the Automatic Tax Refund 4.3 million Hoosiers are receiving this year. House Democrats are flexible in how we want to help folks with rising costs — we simply want to make sure it gets done and hold leadership accountable to Hoosiers. Our surplus has already exceeded $6 billion, with an even higher number likely to come soon. It’s time to stop resting on our laurels and give Hoosiers their money back when they’re struggling.
“Gov. Holcomb and Statehouse Republicans have been asleep at the wheel for months with no roadmap for our state, so it’s no wonder they don’t understand why Hoosiers can’t afford to get behind the wheel right now.”