State Republican Lawmakers Work to Ease Pain at the Pump with Plan to Lower Gas Prices
- Arizona Senate Republicans
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 24, 2025
State Republican Lawmakers Work to Ease Pain at the Pump
with Plan to Lower Gas Prices
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—Despite a moderation in Arizona gas prices from the painful $4 and $5 levels over the past four years, drivers are still paying about $1 more per gallon today than they were in 2020. In an effort to ease the financial burden hitting hardworking Arizonans each time they fill their tanks, and to prevent future extreme price hikes at the pump, Senate and House Republicans are working together on legislation to tackle one of the driving forces behind rising fuel prices.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee will consider a "strike everything amendment" from President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope on HB 2300, sponsored by Representative Leo Biasiucci. Upon adoption of the amendment, the bill expands the list of approved gas blends available for use in Maricopa County in statute to include formulas currently being used in neighboring states.
Arizona is currently required to provide drivers in Maricopa 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," said President Pro Tempore Shope. "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, two weeks ago, 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.
"Following that meeting, Administrator Zeldin publicly raised our concerns about being punished for emissions outside of our control, and he committed to ensuring air quality will be protected while allowing us to grow the economy," said President Petersen. "HB 2300 is the first step in removing the shackles off Arizona and positions us to reduce gas prices quickly, in coordination with upcoming action from Administrator Zeldin on behalf of the Trump Administration. Providing multiple fuel options allows the market to compete during unexpected shortages and will help keep gas prices low for Arizona drivers."
When gasoline shortages happen, the state has the authority to request a waiver from the EPA, in order to use a different, available blend. Past Governors have successfully received a waiver. Unfortunately, back in March 2023, refineries warned Governor Katie Hobbs that weeks-long shutdowns would cut off more than 50% of the supply of fuel to the Phoenix area, but the Governor decided not to apply for the waiver. As a result, gas prices spiked $1 in just weeks.
"HB 2300 ensures the Legislature is looped in during these shortage situations right from the start, so that we can advocate for Arizona at the federal level when Hobbs will not," said President Pro Tempore Shope.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
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Some lawmakers are also floating the idea of incentivizing in-state fuel production, but that raises concerns about environmental oversight. And let’s be real, the oil market is global—state-level moves can only do so much. Personally, I see these proposals as partial relief, but not a sustainable fix. It reminds me of a situation I had with my own tech setup—I wanted a quick fix for my slowing laptop, but in the end, replacing key macbook pro parts gave me lasting performance instead of just a temporary patch. Maybe the same logic applies here: short-term solutions feel good, but real investment gets better results.
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