This week, the North Carolina General Assembly voted to temporarily suspend the state’s 41-cent gas tax through Nov. 30.
The bill will provide some relief at the pump for a little over a month and a half after Gov. Josh Stein (D) signed it into law on Friday. Democratic lawmakers tried to pass a longer tax suspension and called for more to be done to lower other costs eating into North Carolinians’ wallets.
State Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham County) signaled to reporters that the gas tax would resume after Nov. 30.
“This is something that we’ve looked at as a temporary measure,” he said.
The price of gas has soared across North Carolina and the US over the past seven months, since President Donald Trump chose to begin a war with Iran that has disrupted oil supply chains in the Middle East, which accounts for a third of all global oil production.
As of Oct. 7, regular gas costs $4.12 a gallon, while diesel fuel costs $6 per gallon.
Since this time last year, the average gas price has increased by $1.27 per gallon (44.5%).
The state House passed the bill 111-1, with Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Durham) voting against, and the Senate passed it 41-0.
Democrats wanted to do more
Before the vote, Democratic lawmakers in the House were not given a chance to debate the bill or propose new amendments.
House Democratic Leader Rep. Robert Reives (D-Chatham County) lamented that the gas tax suspension was not for a longer period and that other rising costs weren’t being addressed.
“We’re here today for a problem that wasn’t created by the people of North Carolina, and we’re not doing everything we can to fix it right now,” he said.
Reives also said that, in addition to suspending the gas tax, the legislature should have addressed increased utility costs and grocery prices.
“Groceries are up. We could have addressed that today. Utility bills are up,” Reives said, arguing there was bipartisan support. “As I said in an earlier event this morning, I’ve heard some folks on the other side talk about that utility bills are up because of a particular bill that was passed here, and they wanted a chance to address that.”
Between August 2025 and August 2026, food prices increased by 2.7%, while utility bills have risen 22% since 2020.
Duke Energy, one of the largest utility companies in North Carolina and the Southeast, is requesting a rate increase that could raise a typical customer’s electric bill by $15 per month by 2028.
Before the votes, NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton criticized Republican lawmakers at a press conference, arguing they have had several months to address costs.
“ Republicans spent the last nine months doing little to nothing to lower the cost for working families in North Carolina,” she said.
In the Senate, Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake County) proposed an amendment to allow Attorney General Jeff Jackson to hold gas stations accountable if they do not pass the gas tax suspension savings on to consumers. The amendment did not receive a vote.
Reives said that voters expect more from the Legislature during his floor remarks.
“ They [the public] want us to talk. They want us to collaborate. They want us to be a part of the decision because, look, no side owns all the good ideas. No side should get all the credit for anything,” he said.
