Governor won’t call gas tax special session, despite Durnell’s urging

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has no plans to call a special session to suspend the state’s motor fuel tax, the governor’s office told Howell County News Friday. Howell County’s representative in the Missouri House, Lisa Durnell (R-Willow Springs) announced May 19 she was joining with Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville) and others to urge Kehoe to call a special session. 

 

“Families and small businesses in our district are feeling real pain at the pump, and I support any responsible step that delivers immediate relief,” said Durnell in the initial release, noting that Missouri’s total state gas tax is 29.5 cents per gallon. 

 

The call to action was to suspend the tax until December 31, 2026. 

 

Kehoe’s office told the News that any suspension of the gas tax would pause road projects, putting Missourians out of work. 

 

“Missouri's fuel tax is distributed to the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri cities, and Missouri counties for road construction and maintenance. This revenue stream funds the jobs of the men and women across the state who work on these road projects, which contribute to the critical public safety and infrastructure needs of our state. If this funding were to be paused, these Missourians would be out of work and current road projects would be delayed,” wrote a representative of the governor. 

 

“The free market provides no guarantee or requirement that retailers must lower costs if state fuel taxes are suspended or cut by the government,” the statement continued.

 

According to Durnell’s initial release, the Missouri Department of Transportation has a reserve fund balance of approximately $1.655 billion currently. 

 

Durnell told the News via email that she is “incredibly disappointed that the governor won't consider a temporary pause in the gas tax to provide some relief to Missouri families…I would even settle for a compromise to pause only the portion that was implemented in 2021 without a vote of the people. Without a special session, we are not even able to have a meaningful debate about the possibility."

 

According to Kehoe’s office, meaningful relief will come after the end of hostilities in Iran, and they are monitoring, “President Trump's efforts at the federal level to end this conflict.”