New Jersey drivers will now stand alone as they sit in their cars while gas is pumped for them.
That's because for the first time in 72 years, Oregon motorists will be able to grab a fuel nozzle and pump gas into their cars on their own, after a decades-old ban on self-serve gas stations was revoked.
Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill on Friday allowing people across the West Coast state to choose between having an attendant pump gas or doing it themselves. The law took effect immediately.
So now the Garden State is the only state that prohibits motorists from pumping their own gas. A few countries also ban it, including South Africa, where attendants offer to check fluid levels and clean the windshield, with tipping expected.
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New Jersey’s 1949 ban on self-service pumps remains a source of pride for some in a state where bumper stickers declare “Jersey Girls Don’t Pump Gas.” And since the state generally has lower gas prices than New York and Pennsylvania, many drivers from neighboring states cross the state line to fuel up.
In 2015, lawmakers proposed ending the New Jersey ban, but the measure died because of opposition from the powerful state Senate president. There's a bill that has sat dormant since April 2022 which would give drivers a choice. It would need to be passed by both the Senate and Assembly before falling to Gov. Phil Murphy.
The governor has generally been against lifting the state’s self-serve ban, but has seemed more open to the idea recently.
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"On self service gas -- it's been sort of a political third rail in New Jersey, which I have historically not crossed," Murphy said. "But given that on average gas prices have gone over $4 a gallon, I'm not necessarily signing up for that because I need to understand the impact. I will say more broadly we're committed to making the state more affordable."
Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, who has been pushing hard for the bill, told NBC New York that she "hopes the passage of self service in Oregon will allow those in New Jersey to see the utility in allowing consumers to choose."
Some station owners say they would support brining self-service gas stations to the state, because they can't find enough employees to work the pump around the clock.
"Nobody wants to work at a gas station. Most are immigrants or only work for a couple of months and they leave so we have a situation where it's very difficult to find quality employees to work for us seven days," said Ara Alboyacian, who has been a gas station owner for 44 years. He said that making the switch would cut payroll and, in turn, make gas prices cheaper.
"Our profit margin on each gallon that we sell all the expenses are included. We have $17,000 of payroll a month. If that disappears, that means we'll be able to sell the gasoline at a lower price. We won't have that expense anymore."
The earliest the bill could be picked up again would be after the state's general elections on Nov. 7. There is no legislative activity until that time.
