CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) — West Virginia House Democrats today called on Governor Patrick Morrisey and the Legislature to convene a special session to temporarily suspend the state’s motor fuel excise tax, currently averaging 36 cents per gallon. With gas prices surging to an average of $4 per gallon statewide — and higher in many communities — West Virginians have paid $41 million more for fuel since the United States went to war with Iran on February 28, 2026.
“West Virginia families are being squeezed at the pump every single day, and West Virginia Democrats are not going to stand by and do nothing,” said House Democratic Leader Sean Hornbuckle. “Suspending the gas tax is a direct, immediate way to put money back in people’s pockets. West Virginians deserve relief now.”
The proposed legislation establishes a market-based mechanism to automatically suspend West Virginia’s motor fuel excise tax when wholesale fuel prices exceed the pre-war baseline established in February 2026. If prices remain elevated, the tax is suspended; when prices stabilize, it is reinstated. The relief is temporary and set to expire January 1, 2027, ensuring taxpayer savings are targeted to the crisis at hand.
“This is a simple question of affordability,” said Delegate John Williams. “When families are forced to choose between filling their gas tank and buying groceries, something has to give. Our bill gives working West Virginians a real break at the pump during a genuine crisis.”
West Virginia would join Georgia, which signed a 60-day gas tax suspension on March 20 and saw prices fall as the rest of the country continued to pay the rising costs of this foreign conflict.
