Here’s a possible reason to fill up the family car before New Year’s Day: the state gasoline tax is going up.
It will rise by six-tenths of a penny per gallon, reaching 30 cents per gallon for gasoline or diesel.
That is on top of the federal fuel tax that is 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel.
It is set at 16.5 percent of the statewide average motor fuel rack price (the price charged by refineries to retailers) for the previous year.
The tax commission issued a bulletin saying that formula resulted in the six-tenths of a cent increase for the coming year, up from the previous 29.