Yesterday, Connecticut’s Democratic Governor Ned Lamont announced he is backing off from pursuing the TCI (Transportation and Climate Initiative) gas tax.

This is another huge blow to the TCI = T-A-X scheme. Massachusetts remains the ONLY state fully committed to joining. With Connecticut backing off, only Rhode Island remains in the mix. The Rhode Island State Legislature needs to approve the previous Governor’s decision before officially joining, and despite TCI’s best efforts, that still has not happened. Current Rhode Island Governor, Thomas McKee, will certainly have to weigh his support for the scheme after Tuesday’s major news.

Read More About Connecticut’s Decision to Withdraw Here: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/lamont-puts-tci-on-hold-in-ct/

Yesterday’s news should send a clear message to the other states, including in Massachusetts. In Governor Lamont’s announcement, he stated that the rising cost of gasoline was a major obstacle to TCI’s passage in the legislature. Lamont noted that even when gas prices were at an all-time low, they couldn’t get TCI passed. With the prices being the highest level in years, the Governor didn’t see any viable way to move forward. Governor Lamont also noted that federal money is already pouring into Connecticut and TCI’s aggressive gas tax was simply unnecessary with the influx of federal tax dollars.

This is all great news! Here’s why.

Governor Charlie Baker may be TCI’s #1 champion, but the Baker administration has consistently said they need three states to join in order for TCI to start in 2023.  With Connecticut’s Governor out, and hopefully Rhode Island Governor McKee thinking hard about it now, how does Massachusetts stay committed to the program’s launch in 2023 now?

With Thanksgiving next week, Governor Baker should immediately withdraw Massachusetts from the scheme so motorists can have something to be thankful for. Common sense tells us that TCI is breathing its last breath, but we must continue to keep up the pressure. Governor Baker will not want to give up on the program his administration built and championed. We will have to fight until the very end of TCI.

MassFiscal has been your #1 fighter against TCI. In all the 12 states, we have worked closely with similar organizations to show them how to stop it. Our hard work is really starting to pay off now. We’ll keep you updated on the latest developments.

P.S. Please help support the important work MassFiscal does to stop the TCI policy in its tracks in the legislature in Massachusetts and throughout New England by making a $100 donation today at massfiscal.org/donate. We won’t let up, but we need your continued support to keep the momentum high. Thank you!