The proposed Climate and Community Investment Act has received a lot of attention, both support and criticism.
Part of the bill would significantly increase the taxes on gasoline and home heating via natural gas.
Republicans have blasted the bill, which would increase the tax on a gallon of gas by more than 50 cents. Natural gas heating costs would also likely increase by 26% annually.
Meanwhile, Sen. Rob Ortt, a Republican from the 62nd District said it will drive more people out of the state.
The goal of the bill is to fight global warming. Skeptics and critics though, say that without affordable alternatives- it will hurt middle class workers in New York.
“There is a lot of what I would describe as fear-mongering,” she said. “We are already paying for the climate impacts and for our use of fossil fuels. It’s kind of just a question of when and how we pay for it.”
“New York’s out-of-control Democrat supermajorities just enacted a state budget raising taxes by nearly five billion dollars and here we go again. It will be an unending search for more tax dollars to afford more spending and every taxpayer will pay the price. The ink on the new state budget is barely dry and the Democrats are already eyeing their next tax hike opportunities, including a potential fifty-five-cents-per-gallon gas tax to help generate revenue to implement a radical, unsustainable, impractical climate change agenda,” Sen. Tom O’Mara added. He represents a large portion of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes.
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