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GOP candidate Brian Shortsleeve goes after Healey with plan to suspend gas tax, kill car inspections, block mileage tax, and raise speed limits to 70

Thursday, May 7, 2026•
4 min read
MDN Staff
•
GOP candidate Brian Shortsleeve goes after Healey with plan to suspend gas tax, kill car inspections, block mileage tax, and raise speed limits to 70

Brian Shortsleeve unveiled an 8-point 'Driving Down Costs' plan targeting gas taxes, inspections, congestion pricing, and Cape Cod bridge tolls.

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BOSTON — Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve wants to suspend the gas tax, eliminate annual car inspections, raise the speed limit to 70 mph, and block any attempt at a mileage tax — and he's daring Maura Healey to explain why Massachusetts drivers should keep paying more.
Shortsleeve unveiled his eight-point "Driving Down Costs" plan on the Howie Carr Show on Wednesday, framing it as a direct response to what he called a state government that treats drivers "like an ATM for Beacon Hill."
"While Maura Healey wants to tax people out of their cars, I want them to have the freedom of mobility," Shortsleeve said. "If we want people to stay here, raise families here, and build businesses here, we need to make Massachusetts affordable again — and it starts with driving costs."

The plan

Shortsleeve's proposal hits eight areas:

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  1. Suspend the state gas tax — the 24-cent-per-gallon tax would be paused to provide immediate relief at the pump
  2. Eliminate annual car inspections — cutting a compliance cost Shortsleeve says also opens the door to a future mileage tax
  3. Extend vehicle registrations to five years — reducing repetitive fees and trips to the RMV
  4. No mileage tax — opposing any effort to track and tax drivers based on miles driven
  5. No increase to the auto excise tax — blocking proposals to raise or triple the current rate
  6. Raise the speed limit to 70 mph on more state highways — reflecting modern road conditions
  7. No tolls on Cape Cod bridges — opposing any attempt to impose tolls on new bridge infrastructure
  8. No congestion pricing in Massachusetts — rejecting fees for workers entering high-traffic areas
Brian Shortsleeve at the MassGOP Convention
Brian Shortsleeve at the MassGOP Convention. Photo: Gavin Richards

Taking aim at Healey

The Marine Corps veteran and former MBTA chief financial officer positioned the plan as the opposite of the current administration's approach.
"Driving in Massachusetts has become too expensive, too complicated, and too unpredictable," Shortsleeve said. "Workers shouldn't be treated like a revenue source every time they get behind the wheel."
The proposal comes as Massachusetts drivers face some of the highest costs in the nation — from gas prices to insurance rates to registration fees — and as Beacon Hill continues to explore new revenue mechanisms including congestion pricing and mileage-based taxes.
Brian Shortsleeve speaking at the MassGOP Convention
Photo: Gavin Richards
"It's time to end our state's reputation as Taxachusetts," Shortsleeve said. "Whether it's commuting to work, taking kids to school, or running a small business, transportation is essential. It should not be treated like an ATM for Beacon Hill."
Shortsleeve is running in the Republican primary for governor against Mike Minogue. The primary is scheduled for September, with the general election in November 2027.

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