Maine is One of the Most Fuel-Dependent States

Gideon Supports Gas Tax Hike That’ll Hurt Working Families, Farmers, & Elderly

Bangor, ME - A new ad from Collins for Senator highlights Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon’s attempt to hike taxes on gas, home heating oil, and other fuel products in Maine by roughly 40 cents a gallon.

The ad, featuring Cole Staples, a farmer in Chapman, outlines the financial impact of Gideon’s misguided tax on Mainers, especially working families and the elderly.

Click the image to watch the ad

The gas tax bill that Gideon supports, LD 434, “An Act to Price Carbon Pollution in Maine,” would have slapped a new fee on fuel distributors in Maine. It would have affected fuel products from gasoline to diesel to home heating oil.

Gas taxes are regressive, meaning they disproportionately affect low-income people more than the wealthy.

Gideon consponsored and spoke at a press conference in support of the bill. Instead of reinvesting revenue from the tax hike into repairing Maine’s crumbling roads and bridges, funds raised by Gideon's new tax would have gone to a brand new fund administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Ad transcript: 

“Working people depend on our cars and trucks and in my budget every dollar counts. 

“But Sara Gideon wants to raise taxes on gas and diesel. 

“Gideon’s gas tax would raise gas prices 40 cents a gallon.

“That’s an extra ten bucks with every fill-up. 

“It’s a bad idea that’s bad for Maine. 

“Higher fuel taxes hurt Maine workers, our farmers, and our families. 

“Maine can’t afford Sara Gideon.”