Staff Reports
In a move sure to make gas-guzzling Americans pump their fists in triumph, the Arizona State Senate took a bold step to lower those pesky gas prices by giving the green light to a bill that would allow for more types of gasoline to be sold in the Grand Canyon State. Democrat Sen. Catherine Miranda even jumped aboard the gas train, voting in favor of the bill, which passed along party lines by a vote of 17-11-2. Take that, expensive gas!
This bill, known as Senate Bill 1064, aims to shake things up by expanding the varieties of gas available for sale in Maricopa County, an area where folks are usually limited to just two blends: one for winter and one for summer, fancy-schmancy referred to as Cleaner Burning Gasoline. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Justine Wadsack, didn’t hold back, proclaiming that Arizonans are forking over thousands more of their hard-earned dollars for everyday necessities all because of policies that have made life more expensive since, ahem, Joe Biden took office. But fear not, Arizonans, because SB 1064 is here to save the day.\
Bill Allowing Cheaper Blends of Gasoline Passes Arizona Senatehttps://t.co/5ILB6reqII
— ArizonaSunTimes (@ArizonaSunTimes) February 25, 2024
Democrat Sen. Priya Sundareshan voiced concerns about the bill’s ability to actually lower gas costs and threw some shade at its impact on air quality regulation, while Sen. Wadsack fired back with fingers crossed for the bill to be signed into law, claiming that it’s the right move for the citizens. Well, this is one rollercoaster of a debate, folks! Hang on tight!
And in case you’ve been napping for the past decade, it’s no secret that gas prices tend to play a little game of limbo, going down in the winter and shooting up in the summer. In fact, in 2023, the good people of Arizona were shelling out over five smackers for a gallon of the go-juice! Ouch! But hey, with this new bill, maybe, just maybe, drivers can start filling ‘er up without breaking the bank.
But hold on to your fill-up funnels, because there’s even more to this bill than meets the eye – it also gives the Senate President and House Speaker the power to plead for a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency when refineries are in a pinch and need some regulations relaxed. Looks like they’re really turning up the heat under those EPA regulations! In fact, last June, some refinery bigwigs tried to get the EPA to give ’em more gas blends, but their efforts crashed and burned as if they’d hit an epic traffic jam.
So there you have it, folks! The Arizona State Senate has thrown down the gauntlet in the fight against high gas prices, and now it’s just a matter of time to see if this bill will go the distance and give Arizonans some relief at the pump. For now, it’s back to the gas station for all of us, where we’ll probably have to take out a second mortgage just to fill ‘er up!
