Shortly after a week, a 23-cent gasoline tax had been signed into law, two Republican state senators have introduced a bill to repeal it.

Sens. Christopher "Kip" Bateman and Mike Doherty, vocal critics of the tax increase,  launched an online petition building opposition to the gas tax right after Gov. Chris Christie signed the bill a week ago on Friday. They criticize the controversial, bipartisan tax deal as unreasonable.

Doherty said, "I fought against the gas tax increase every step through the legislative process, and I'll continue fighting against it now that it's been signed into law. We're not spending the gas taxes we already collect wisely, so it's not fair to ask drivers to pay more."

taxes on gasoline sold in New Jersey will rise from 14.5 cents per gallon to 37.5 cents, and from second-lowest in the U.S. to among the highest.

The actual hit to drivers' wallets will vary, but AAA estimated the impact, on average, will be about $170 a year.

The lawmakers said that more than 11,500 people had signed their petition by midday Friday. Doherty and Bateman said New Jerseyans are already besieged by high taxes and are angry.

Their effort is most likely to fail, as the deal was negotiated by Democratic leaders in the Legislature and Christie, a Republican. In the Senate, 19 Democrats and five Republicans voted in favor, and 37 Democrats and seven Republicans did.

Christie signed the hike into law Oct. 14, declaring it the first and only tax increase he will sign as governor.

The tax revenue will pay down existing transportation debt and finance a new eight-year, $16 billion Transportation Trust Fund program. The fund that pays for road, bridge and rail projects around the state ran out of money for new projects over the summer.

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By Prakriti neogi