ONLY ON KOLD: Sen. Mark Kelly discusses record-high gas prices

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - According to AAA, the average price of gas in Tucson has reached $4.50 a gallon.

That’s a record for our area.

“It’s unaffordable for so many families,” said Sen. Mark Kelly. “There are levers we can pull on here to lower the cost.”

One of those plans is a bill called the Gas Prices Relief Act. It would suspend the federal tax on gas, which is at 18 cents per gallon.

It was introduced in February, and sits waiting to be reviewed in the Senate Finance Committee.

His message to the committee is simply, “let’s get it done.”

Some states, like Connecticut, are suspending its state gas tax. Sen. Kelly said it’s something all states should look at, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s office says it won’t do very much.

“Inflation has been a disaster for working families in Arizona and across the Country,” said CJ Karamagin, spokesperson for Ducey’s office. “What is needed are serious and long-term solutions and a good place to start would be to curb out-of-control Government spending.”

The American Petroleum Institute said 19 cents of every gallon of gas in Arizona are state taxes.

Sen. Kelly said Washington just isn’t moving fast enough as prices soar.

“I’ve asked the Administration to increase production,” he said. “They’ve done some but it’s not happening fast enough.”