Critics of the legislation say it would allow "big-box service stations," such as Wawa and 7-Eleven, to sell fuel below cost until they drive out independent companies, ultimately leading to higher gasoline prices.
"This bill will bury us," Sal Risalvato, [image-nocss] executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store and Automotive Association, told the news outlet. "It will encourage predatory pricing and regional monopolies."
A state law was created 70 years ago to prohibit below-wholesale pricing, Risalvato said; about 20 states have similar laws.
The bill being considered, introduced by Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D) in June, when gasoline prices were hovering near $4 per gallon, would strike down that law, allowing stations to charge any price. The Senate has not yet acted on the bill.
The New Jersey Petroleum Council, which represents companies such as Shell, Exxon-Mobil and Hess, supports the measure, said the report.
Monday morning, owners of small stations lined both sides of a Statehouse hallway, wearing buttons that read "Vote No on A-2904" and handing out material listing their grievances with the bill. The material, in part, reads "The choice is simpledo you vote for the big-box retailersor do you vote for small businesses, consumers and a healthy competitive climate for New Jersey's business community?"
Lawmakers told the gathering of station owners that they would be voting against the bill, the report said.
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