Senate Republicans Pass Legislation to Lower Gas Prices for Arizona Drivers, Bill Now Heads to House for Final Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                   

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 

Senate Republicans Pass Legislation to Lower Gas Prices for Arizona Drivers,

Bill Now Heads to House for Final Vote

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senate Republicans are working to lower gas prices for Arizona drivers by passing legislation to expand the list in statute of approved fuel blends available for use in Maricopa County, as well as through collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump Administration.

A "strike everything amendment" from President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope on HB 2300, sponsored by Representative Leo Biasiucci, passed the Senate today with only Republican support. The bill now heads to the House for a final vote before being transmitted to the Governor for signature.

Arizona is currently required to provide drivers in Maricopa County and portions of Pinal County a specific fuel blend for cooler season months and a different fuel blend specific for warmer season months. During spring and summer, statute specifies Arizonans must fuel their cars with a boutique blend called Cleaner Burning Gas. Arizona is the only state in the nation using this blend to meet clean air requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for ozone attainment. This blend is produced out of state, and there can be routine disruptions in getting this fuel supply into Arizona, which forces prices to rise.

Modeling shows that 80% of the ozone in Maricopa County travels here from outside of the state. This includes wildfires, pollution from Mexico, and emissions from California. Even if 4 million gas burning cars were removed from our roads, Arizona would still not attain the impossible ozone standards set by the EPA. Senate President Warren Petersen made appeals to the Biden Administration to address this issue, and they went unanswered. However, last month, President Petersen revisited this appeal with the new EPA Administrator under the Trump Administration, Lee Zeldin, and requested Arizonans not be penalized for a problem not caused by the state.

On Monday, Administrator Zeldin announced he's moving forward with ensuring Arizona will no longer be punished for foreign air pollution by rescinding EPA guidance that created challenges for Arizona when attempting to prove the air pollution within the state is coming from other countries. This important action cuts burdensome red tape and is a first step in allowing Arizona to provide additional fuel blends outlined in HB 2300 to help lower gas prices for Arizona drivers.

"This is huge news for Arizona drivers who have been crippled by costly gas prices over the past four years. I'm thrilled the U.S. EPA answered our calls for help, and Republicans at the Arizona Legislature are banding together to see HB 2300 cross the finish line," said President Pro Tempore Shope. "Our fuel is consistently more expensive than the national average, especially during a supply shortage in the warmer season months. This week's action from Administrator Zeldin ensures Arizona will no longer have to jump through hoops to offer relief to our citizens, and if signed into law, HB 2300 will help prevent extreme prices hikes from occurring in Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County. With crude oil now dropping to its lowest prices since 2021, I'm grateful the Trump Administration is delivering on promises to put Americans first. Average Arizonans who work hard to provide for their families will reap the benefits. Signing this legislation is a no-brainer, and I'm hopeful Governor Hobbs will do the right thing when this bill hits her desk."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov