New York Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco and the Assembly Republican Conference Wednesday called for relieving some of the pain at the pump by instituting a "summer holiday" from state fuel taxes.

The GOP's summer gas tax holiday would, on average, provide a nearly 30-cent savings per gallon of gasoline and a 35-cent savings per gallon of diesel fuel.

Tedisco and the Assembly Republicans called for suspending the three state taxes on gasoline - the 8-cent motor fuel tax, the 8-cent sales tax and the 16-cent Petroleum Business Tax - from Memorial Day until Labor Day this year.

This comes after presidential hopefuls, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton, called for a similar "gas tax holiday" on a federal level.

"High gas prices have a negative multiplier effect, driving up the cost of everyday goods as small businesses bear the price of higher fuel costs and ultimately pass it onto consumers," Tedisco said. "The fastest way to put the brakes on rising fuel, food and other commodity costs is by instituting a much-needed holiday from state fuel taxes for motorists and small businesses."

Rising fuel costs are having a huge impact on the trucking industry, said Kendra Adams, acting president of the New York State Motor Truck Association. "For many motor carriers, fuel is now equal to labor as the highest expense; and for some carriers, fuel has likely surpassed labor as their largest expense. I'd like to thank Assemblymen Tedisco, Amedore and the rest of the Assembly Republican Conference for taking the time to listen to the concerns of New York truckers."

"Rising gas prices are taking a serious toll on New York's small businesses," said Assemblyman Bill Reilich (R,C,I-Greece), Chairman of the Assembly Republican Task Force on Small Business in New York State. "Owner-operated truckers and business owners that rely on trucks to deliver their products are especially hard-hit. We must stop this 'perfect storm' of high fuel prices, high taxes, rising insurance costs and burdensome government regulation from forcing business owners to move out of state."