Having given Republican State Senator Len Suzio an almost nine-month head start in the battle over gas taxes in Connecticut, the legislature's Democratic majority is finally fighting back.

Democratic leaders are releasing what they term "a plan to provide relief at the pump" this afternoon outside the State Capitol Building. Senate President Donald Williams Jr. (shown at left) and Speaker of the House Chris Donovan will take part in the press conference, scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.


Suzio has been trying to get his idea for putting a cap on the state's Gross Receipts Tax before a legislative public hearing. Having been unable to achieve that thus far, he has spent plety of time flogging the Democratic leadership for not allowing his proposal on a public hearing agenda.

  In order for a hearing on his proposal to happen, one of the chairwomen of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee has to approve it. Both of them, Eileen Daily and Particia Widlitz, are Democrats.

Democratic lawmakers in Hartford have argued against Suzio's plan. But until Monday afternoon, the Democrats  hadn't countered publicly with a proposal of their own


Suzio’s legislation would cap the gross receipts tax when prices at the pump top $3 per gallon.

The gross receipts tax is one of two that the state collects on gas. One is paid directly by consumers, while the gross receipts tax is passed through to customers.

The gross receipts tax places a 7.53 percent levy on wholesale gas prices.