WV House Democrats call on Morrisey to hold special session to address gas tax relief

“In light of the significant increase in gas and diesel prices in West Virginia, and the uncertainty of future pricing due to the geopolitical crises involving our federal administration, I am reaching out again to respectfully request that you convene a special session of the Legislature to lower the cost that West Virginians pay at the pump,� House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, wrote in the letter.

Hornbuckle said in the letter that House Democrats have a plan drafted, saying it would "suspend our gas tax in a responsible manner" and "allow for flexibility in the suspension."

The drafted legislation, provided to The Gazette-Mail by Hornbuckle on Thursday, would authorize the tax commissioner, currently Matthew Irby, to suspend the Motor Fuel Excise Tax for one-month increments if the average wholesale price exceeds the price on Feb. 28, 2026, through the end of the year.

The “average wholesale price� means the statewide average per gallon wholesale price, rounded to thousandth of a cent, not including state and federal excise taxes.

Each month, the tax commissioner would calculate the average wholesale price. If that price is higher than the February 2026 price the motor fuel tax would be suspended for the next. If it does not exceed the February 2026 wholesale price, the commissioner would authorize gas tax collection for the following month.

Gas prices nationwide have risen by more than $1.30 a gallon since the United States and Israel began the Iran war on Feb. 28, according to business website Forbes.com. Hornbuckle said West Virginians were paying between $2.85 and $3.00 per gallon of gasoline before the conflict began.

“Today, West Virginians are paying more than $4.30 per gallon; which is not acceptable, nor sustainable,� Hornbuckle noted, adding that diesel currently averages $5.70 per gallon in the Mountain State.

The travel website AAA lists the average gas price in West Virginia on Thursday at $4.43 a gallon. The highest prices are in Hancock County where gas is $4.52 a gallon. The national average, according to AAA, is $4.56 a gallon.

Morrisey's response

At a news conference Thursday at the Governor's Office at the West Virginia Capitol, Morrisey was asked about the House Democrats' call for a special session.

“We need relief at the pump badly," Morrisey said. "We've had different conversations with the Trump administration. I am hopeful that what the president is doing — which I think is correct — ... [will] bring some certainty with the Middle East. That probably will have the single biggest impact in terms of gas prices of anything that any state or governor can do.�

In a Facebook video message posted on April 23 to the West Virginia Democrats’ page, Hornbuckle said, “We know that we would be able to exercise our rainy-day fund if we needed to backfill anything for our roads. We feel that with our amount of surpluses that we have already accrued, plus a huge backstop with an emergency — which it is right now — that we have adequate amount to replace in the road fund.�

Hornbuckle confirmed Thursday part of the plan would be to use surplus funds if highway revenues did not come in during a month when the tax was suspended.

As of April 30, the state’s rainy-day fund had a balance of $793 million, according to state records.

What's next

In Hornbuckle’s May 6 letter to Morrisey, he said Democrats are committed to working with Morrisey on what he called a “time-sensitive matter.�

“House Democrats stand ready to work in a bipartisan manner to deliver relief for West Virginians,� Hornbuckle noted, adding his recommendation that a plan be coordinated during the House of Delegates-only interim legislative session, scheduled for May 18 and 19.