The Alabama Democratic caucus held a press conference on Wednesday where they stated their opposition to the state sales tax on groceries. They also called for the suspension of the gasoline tax increase that was passed with wide bipartisan support in 2019.
State Rep. Pebblin Warren (D-Tuskegee) called for the repeal of the state's 4% on food and for a suspension of the ten-cent-per-gallon tax on fuel passed earlier in this quadrennium.
“I think it is important that we address two issues that are facing Alabamians: the gas tax and the food tax,” Warren said. “Lately we have seen gas prices reach historical highs and it seems like average people may need a loan the next time they go to a meat counter at the grocery store.”
She said every time a family goes to the gas station or the grocery store they are feeling the pain of high prices that won’t come down.
”Alabama is receiving billions of federal dollars to upgrade its infrastructure and we can afford to suspend the gas taxes until the markets correct and fuel prices come back down to affordable prices,” Warren added. “We can also provide relief to Alabama families by eliminating the grocery tax. Right now, we are only one of three states that still have a tax on food.
“In a state where one-fourth of our children live with food insecurity it only makes sense to get rid of this regressive tax and to ensure that we end hunger in our state. We all know we can find better ways to fund basic and necessary government services than taxing those who can least afford it.”
She said this is something that we can do immediately for Alabama’s working people.
Warren said that she has not introduced legislation to suspend the gas tax because, as a Democrat, legislation of that magnitude would not go anywhere in the Republican-controlled legislature.
Warren called on Governor Ivey to suspend the gas tax.
“Again, these are not normal circumstances,” Warren told reporters. “I have not endured a pandemic like this and I have been here for going on 70 years,” speaking of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats also voiced their opposition to school choice and the divisive concepts bills as well as their support for legislation to end elder abuse.
The entire Democratic press conference was recorded on a Facebook Live video.
Thursday is day 26 of the 2022 Alabama regular legislative session.
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