ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)— Lawmakers are calling for a temporary suspension of the state gas tax to help New Yorkers struggling with rising prices at the pump.

Republican Senator Peter Oberacker is the sponsor of the New York Gas Tax Relief Act, which would suspend the tax until September.

“These are costs that are just astronomical and we are asking people to basically buckle up? No. We need to give them some relief, ” Oberacker said. “We need to give them some hope, and that’s what we’re doing.”

New York’s tax on gasoline is about 48 cents per gallon, and diesel fuel is nearly 47 cents per gallon.

“50 cents a gallon could save up to $1,200 a year for a family living in a city like Schenectady,” said Democractic Assemblyman, Angelo Santabarbara, who is proposing the tax be suspended for a full year.

“What does this mean to the trucking industry?” said Santabarbara. “50 cents a gallon could save them more than $50,000 a year, just on average. That savings would be passed down directly to the consumers.”

In Rochester on Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul said the issue is “not settled yet. It’s absolutely under review.”