Sen. Suzio to Hold Town Hall Meeting in Middlefield [Video]

Mark your calendar, Sen. Len Suzio will hold a town hall meeting in Middlefield before he heads to Hartford for the start of the 2012 legislative session.

The Republican, who also represents Meriden, Middletown and Cheshire, will meet with constituents on Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the .

Earlier this week, Suzio held a press conference announcing his proposal to cap what he calls the state’s “hidden” tax on gasoline. (See video)

“Most people don’t know it, but Connecticut actually levies two taxes on gas sold in Connecticut,” Suzio said. “The official state gas tax is 25 cents per gallon, but the state also levies a second hidden tax, called the “gross receipts tax” on the wholesale price of gas. When the wholesale price goes up, so does the hidden tax. Incredibly, there is no limit to how high the hidden gas tax may go. Connecticut already has the highest gas tax in the nation. I am proposing we put a cap on this hidden tax and give overburdened taxpayers a little relief at the pumps.”

The average price of a gallon of Connecticut regular rose 3.5 cents last week to $3.53 as of Sunday. The price is 28.7 cents higher than a year ago, according to www.ConnecticutGasPrices.com.

Suzio’s bill will be taken up during the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2012 legislative session.