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Committee restores gas‑tax relief, saying budgeted revenues already account for it
Summary
A floor amendment to extend a gas‑tax relief that lowers the tax at the pump by 19 cents per gallon passed the Committee of the Whole. Sponsors said the reduction was already built into Guam Highway Fund projections and BBMR/OFB had accounted for the revenue impact; the chair found no objection and the amendment carried.
The Committee of the Whole adopted a floor amendment that restores a gas‑tax relief provision, cutting the tax at the pump by 19 cents per gallon for the fiscal year.
A proponent told the panel the relief "saves customers at the pump 19¢ a gallon" and that the Office of Budget and Management and BBMR had already recognized the relief in revenue assumptions for the Guam Highway Fund, so there was no net fiscal impact in the substitute budget. Several senators voiced support; one asked for a numeric verification of how the revenue assumption was calculated and the chair said the specific revenue number was part of the revenues presentation and not repeated on the floor.
The chair asked for objections and, finding none, announced the amendment passed. The change will be added into Chapter 12 of the substitute budget.
Next steps: The amendment language will be folded into the budget text; senators asked staff to verify the revenue-line detail in the fiscal documents.
