Palmetto State Families Suffering from Inflation; Tourism Industry Hurt by High Gas Prices
Rebecca Blackburn Hines, Conservative Republican candidate for South Carolina House District 85 from Irmo and Chapin called for a suspension of the state gas tax in light of skyrocketing inflation and bad economic decisions from the Biden administration. Recently, liberal lawmakers in New York state passed legislation suspending the Empire State’s motor vehicle fuel tax.
Rebecca Blackburn Hines issued the following statement:
“If Democrats in New York can suspend their state gas tax, there is absolutely no reason conservatives in
South Carolina shouldn’t do the same. Our state’s top industry, tourism, is already adversely impacted
by these extraordinarily high fuel costs. The average price of a gallon of gas is $4.30 and rising. We must
do more to protect our workers, our small businesses and the families that live in South Carolina that
are already having trouble making ends meet. State lawmakers should act now to suspend the gas tax.
We have to protect taxpayers and small businesses by taking commonsense steps to cut taxes,
especially when gas is $4.30 and our state’s gas tax is $0.26 per gallon.”
As a former small business owner who has built a career in economic development working with other
small businesses, Blackburn Hines has advocated at the state and local level for conservative policy
reforms to help grow small businesses and encourage more investment in the private sector. Currently,
Blackburn Hines develops and manages state-wide initiatives aimed at directly supporting the needs of
South Carolina small businesses through her work with a national economic development program.
Blackburn Hines added, “This is an issue that hits close to home for me and my family. I know what it’s
like to run a small business and then have fixed costs rise through the roof. Families are suffering. When
your friends and neighbors spend $4.30-plus on gas, they can’t afford to get essentials at the grocery or
dine at the local restaurant down the street. It impacts everyone. I’m running for State House because
we need strong, conservative leaders who are willing to address issues like this in order to make a
difference and be an advocate for families, small businesses and the Irmo and Chapin communities.”
