北卡罗来纳州议会通过法案，暂停每加仑41美分燃油税
据美通社（PR Newswire）报道，北卡罗来纳州议会10月7日通过法案，暂停征收该州每加仑41美分的机动车燃油税——这是东南部各州中最高的州燃油税之一。
据报道，该法案在特别会议期间获得通过，暂停征收这项长期以来支撑全州道路桥梁养护的关键税源。共和党提案人表示，在美国与伊朗的战争与全球能源市场紧张导致油价居高不下的情况下，暂停征税将给司机带来即时的加油减负。
民主党人与交通倡导者警告，在该州基础设施欠账严重之际暂停燃油税，将在交通预算上撕开大口子——从拥堵的城市走廊到老化的乡村桥梁，州交通部此前估计的延期维护缺口达数十亿美元。
法案现已送交州长签署。暂停期限、对公路项目的财政影响，以及州政府是否动用储备填补税收缺口，是会议期间辩论的焦点。分析人士指出，距离11月中期选举不足一个月，此举也有政治分量——两党都想向选民展示自己在应对生活成本压力。
若获签署，北卡罗来纳州将加入近年以暂停燃油税作为直接民生纾困手段的少数州之列。
州长办公室尚未表态是否签署；若州长否决，议会需要三分之二多数才能推翻。
North Carolina Legislature Passes Bill Suspending 41-Cent-Per-Gallon Fuel Tax
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina General Assembly on Oct. 7 passed legislation suspending the state's 41-cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax, one of the highest state fuel taxes in the Southeast, PR Newswire reported.
The bill, approved during a special legislative session, pauses collection of a tax that has long been a key source of funding for road and bridge maintenance across the state. Republican sponsors said the suspension will give drivers immediate relief at the pump, where fuel prices have remained elevated amid the U.S. war with Iran and global energy market tensions.
Democrats and transportation advocates warned that suspending the tax will blow a hole in the state's transportation budget at a time when North Carolina faces a large backlog of infrastructure needs, from congested urban corridors to aging rural bridges. The state Department of Transportation has previously estimated billions in deferred maintenance.
The legislation now heads to the governor's desk. The suspension's duration, its fiscal impact on highway projects, and whether the state will backfill lost revenue from reserves were central points of debate during the session. Analysts said the move also carries political weight with the November midterms less than a month away, as both parties seek to show voters they are addressing cost-of-living pressures.
If signed, North Carolina would join a small number of states that have suspended fuel taxes in recent years as a form of direct consumer relief.
The governor's office has not said whether he will sign the bill; a veto would require a two-thirds majority to override.
图片来源：图：北卡罗来纳州老州议会大厦（罗利）。摄影：Farragutful，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
