State House News Service photo / File

As momentum grows around the country for the suspension of state gas taxes, the state Senate on Thursday rejected a Republican-led push to pause gas tax collections through Labor Day even as Gov. Charlie Baker signaled he was warming to the idea.

The vote in the Senate came the same day Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill to suspend Connecticut’s 25-cent gas tax through June 30 after the Legislature voted unanimously in favor of the pause.

“Clearly, we have an obligation to respond,” Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said. “This Senate has not historically witnessed such economic pain and not tried to intervene.”

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gas prices in Massachusetts shot up to an average high of $4.36 a gallon on March 11, but have been slowly ticking downward averaging $4.25 across the state on Thursday, according to AAA.

Republicans in Massachusetts have been pushing for weeks to suspend the state’s gas tax in the face of those price spikes, but have met resistance from Democrats who have called it a “gimmick” and raised concerns about violating the terms of the state’s bond agreements.

“I know it might sound good and feel good, but you are not providing any real relief,” Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues told his colleagues.

Rodrigues, a Westport Democrat, said not only would Wall Street and the bond rating agencies look unfavorably on a move to backfill lost gas tax revenue with future surplus funds, but he said there was no guarantee that the savings would get passed on to motorists.

After the House cast aside a proposal two weeks ago to suspend the gas tax until prices fell to $3.70, the Senate voted 11-29 against an amendment offered by Republican Sen. Ryan Fattman, of Sutton, that attempted to address some of the concerns of Democrats.

Fattman’s amendment would have suspended collection of the gas tax through Sept. 5, and given the Department of Revenue 30 days to notify the state comptroller how much tax revenue was lost during that period. The comptroller would be authorized to transfer an equal sum to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund to replace any lost revenue that had been put up as collateral for state borrowing.

Baker noted the bipartisan vote in Connecticut and expressed concern that Massachusetts drivers could get caught in the middle of states where cheaper gas was available. In addition to Connecticut, which is controlled by Democrats, New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, a Republican, has said he supports suspending that state’s gas tax.

“I think it’s going to be really important for us as a commonwealth to take seriously the fact that not only are we going to put our people in a position where they will be significantly disadvantaged if they buy gas in Massachusetts, it also creates a dynamic where we’re not really helping them with this particular cost,” Baker said.

As gas prices began to rise in March, Baker had suggested the gas tax might be one place his administration would look to provide short-term relief to residents struggling with inflation. But as Democratic opposition mounted, Baker chose to focus on his budget plan to cut taxes for renters, senior homeowners and low-income families as a way of providing financial relief.