Democratic state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara on Friday called for a suspension of the sales tax on gasoline as the price per gallon climbs above $4. 

New York's tax on gasoline sales stands at just over 48 cents a gallon and nearly 47 cents for a gallon of diesel. Santabarbara's proposal would suspend the tax collection for a year. 

“New Yorkers are already feeling the strain of increased costs for essential goods, especially at the gas pump where prices increased significantly last year and are expected to continue rising,” Santabarbara said. “After the challenges of the past two years, our families deserve all the relief we can provide. That’s why I have introduced a bill to suspend the state’s gas tax for one year to help bring gas prices down and help working class families save more of their hard-earned money.”

The increase in costs for motorists has come amid the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and on top of rising inflation amid the ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The proposal from Santabarbara comes after Republican lawmakers earlier this year called for action on a variety of inflationary issues facing consumers, including a suspension of the gasoline tax.