Winner'08 News
Elmira, N.Y., October 5--Legislation sponsored by State
Senator George Winner (R-C-I, Elmira) to spark greater competition in the
gas marketplace -- a move that some gas station owners have said could lower
the cost of gas by up to 20 cents per gallon -- has been signed into law
by Governor David Paterson.
The new law will allow New York’s self-owned service station operators to
buy and sell unbranded, less expensive motor fuel to their customers.
Gas station owners across the state had posted fliers at their pumps urging
Paterson to sign the Winner-sponsored measure, which was strongly supported
by the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops.
"I applaud the governor’s action at a time when New Yorkers are struggling
with rising costs for everything under the sun," said Winner. "New
York government has few avenues of influence over the price of a gallon
of gas, but we can take actions like this one to try to increase marketplace
competition and bring down prices at the pump. We have to consider every
avenue of relief from today’s rising prices, and this bipartisan action
is meaningful."
Most motor fuel retailers have been bound by franchise contracts to operate
under a single brand name and sell only the fuel products associated with
that brand. Distributors are similarly prohibited by contracts with refiners
from selling unbranded fuels to franchised dealers.
The new law, which was sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle
(D-Monroe County), does away with these contractual restrictions on future
contracts and permits service station owners to accept unbranded gas from
other vendors if their chief suppliers do not offer the same alternative.
Winner’s 53rd Senate District encompasses all of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County (the city and town of Ithaca, and the towns of Enfield, Newfield, and Ulysses).
Winner was first elected to the State Senate in 2004 and re-elected in 2006.
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