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 Power & Politics: A possible break on utility bill taxes and surcharges, the latest impact of rising oil prices

This week's guest is State Sen. Rob Rolison.

Jonathan Gordon

Apr 12, 2026, 7:00 PM

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Utility bill tax holiday

With the cost of utilities only going up, one state lawmaker has proposed a bill that would temporarily give New Yorkers a break.

State Sen. Rob Rolison is pushing forward with a bill that would establish a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday.

"New Yorkers are looking for relief they can actually feel in their monthly bills," Rolison said. "That’s why it’s critical we take immediate action to ease the burden on families by advancing real solutions like a utility tax holiday and returning excess funds to ratepayers."

This week, lawmakers passed an extender after missing the April 1 deadline to get a budget done. Rolison hopes his bill gets included in the final budget.

Rising oil prices

The cost of a barrel of oil temporarily dipped after the White House announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, but returned to higher prices because of the uncertainty over fighting in the Middle East.

The higher costs are hitting people beyond just heating their homes and filling up their cars.

Airlines are adding surcharges, fertilizer costs are up, which could impact produce at the grocery store and gas remains high.

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