Pennsylvania
Could a gas tax holiday be imposed in Pennsylvania as prices at the pump continue to rise?
PENNSYLVANIA (WJAC) — Discussion continues about potentially suspending the Pennsylvania gas tax, one of the highest state gas taxes in the country, as prices at the pump continue to jump.
Lawmakers in both chambers are considering a gas tax holiday that would remove Pennsylvania’s gas tax for a limited period. The Senate proposal would last 60 days, while the House version would run for six months. Supporters say the move would provide needed help for people across the state, while opponents argue it is not sustainable.
The proposals would save drivers about 57 cents per gallon on gasoline and about 75 cents per gallon on diesel from the state gas tax.
Representatives of the Democratic senator Lisa Boscola, who proposed the Senate bill and is from the Lehigh area, said they will continue pushing the measure they believe is needed by families around the state and are optimistic it will pass.
In the House, the effort is mostly being pushed by Republicans, though local Republican Rep. Jim Rigby said he does not support it because it is “not a real solution.”
Democratic Rep. Paul Takac agrees, saying state police and PennDOT road work are funded through the gas tax, and that suspending it would essentially defund both, and they would have to find money to fill those voids. Takac added that he has not heard any serious intention to move the bill forward.
Democratic Rep. Frank Burns said he believes that if the proposal came to a vote, a gas tax holiday would pass with bipartisan support and would provide at least a small break to struggling families.
The debate continues as gas prices continue rising, with another jump in the last week.
Chief economist Gbenga Ajilore of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says prices are unlikely to fall soon.
“It seems like gas prices are going to go up, and even if there’s some sort of resolution in say the next couple weeks, it’s going to be difficult to see prices go down anytime soon,” Ajilore said.
The Senate is back in session on Monday and for the next few days after that, but not again until June. If the gas tax holiday is going to move forward anytime soon, that is when it would likely happen.
In the House, the proposal would need to clear the Democratic-led Transportation Committee before it could go to a vote.
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2% for March, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced in its preliminary report Friday.
According to L&I, the rate in Pennsylvania was one-tenth of a percentage point below the country’s unemployment rate, which fell to 4.3% compared to February.
The civilian labor force, consisting of residents working or looking for work, increased by 6,000 to 6,593,000, and employment increased by 9,000 while unemployment decreased by 3,000 from February.
Nonfarm jobs also rose in March, to 6,189,600, while jobs in six industry supersectors increased. Trade, transportation, and utilities were up 5,100 during March.
For more information about L&I, visit its website here.
Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania saw a record low number of traffic deaths in 2025, according to PennDOT.
The department said 1,047 people were killed in traffic crashes last year, which is 80 fewer than last year and the lowest since record keeping began in 1928.
“Even one life lost is one too many, so while this decrease is good news, Pennsylvania remains committed to moving toward zero deaths on our roadways,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT will continue to do our part to decrease fatalities through education and outreach, but we will only reach zero when we all work together.”
PennDOT said there were 109,515 total reportable crashes, which was the second lowest on record only to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic kept drivers off the road. Of those total crashes, 979 were fatal, down from 1,060 last year.
The number of people killed in impaired driver crashes dropped from 342 to 258 last year, which was also the lowest on record. Fatalities in lane departure crashes and fatalities when someone wasn’t wearing a seatbelt declined as well. PennDOT attributes the decrease in deaths to infrastructure improvements and initiatives like enforcement and education campaigns.
Deaths involving a distracted driver were up from 49 to 54, but PennDOT says the long-term trend is decreasing, and a law that went into effect last June makes it illegal to use hand-held devices while driving, even while stopped because of traffic or a red light.
“Please drive safely,” Carroll said. “Put the phone down when you are behind the wheel. Always follow the speed limit and never drive impaired. And buckle up! Your seat belt can save your life in a crash.”
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