RALEIGH – North Carolina legislative leaders have called the General Assembly into an extra session Wednesday to consider state tax relief on gasoline and diesel fuel.
House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger issued a joint proclamation Oct. 5 directing lawmakers to convene at noon Oct. 7 in Raleigh. The proclamation says the leaders received written requests from at least three-fifths of the members of each chamber, the threshold the state constitution sets for lawmakers to call themselves into session.
The document limits the purpose of the session to considering legislation that would provide state tax relief on gasoline and diesel fuel. It does not include bill text or specify the amount, duration or structure of any proposed tax change.
WRAL and WBTV reported that lawmakers were preparing to consider fuel-tax changes as drivers faced higher prices. Neither report identified a final public proposal. Any bill could be amended during the legislative process.
The proclamation itself does not lower taxes or change state law. A measure would have to pass both the House and Senate and meet the state’s requirements for becoming law.
North Carolina uses fuel-tax revenue to support transportation spending. The financial effect on drivers and the state transportation budget will depend on the language lawmakers introduce and approve.
The extra session creates a new public vote for legislators in an election year. Supporters may present a tax reduction as immediate relief for motorists, while lawmakers will also have to weigh the effect of any revenue reduction on road and infrastructure funding.
The General Assembly’s agenda and any proposed legislation are expected to provide the first specific details when lawmakers convene Wednesday.
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Photo Credit: Jmturner via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. North Carolina State Legislative Building in Raleigh, photographed March 21, 2008. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North-Carolina-Legislative-Building-20080321.jpeg.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.