State gas taxes climb to 75 cents per gallon as GOP convention blames cost of living

At the Republican convention, the cost of living is the headline, but the receipts are at the pump: state gas taxes add up to 75 cents per gallon, and the platform blames rising prices. The ledger says the bill is local; the rhetoric says it's national. Convention speeches call out inflation, but the tax line comes straight from the statehouse. The price climbs, the blame shifts, and the road gets paved with receipts. The cost of living is a speech, but the gas tax is a line item. The consumer pays, the state collects, and the convention debates. The stakes are clear: every mile driven carries a tax, and every speech delivered carries a promise. The only thing moving faster than the car is the cost.