TRENTON -- State Senate President and likely 2017 Democratic governor candidate Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) says he'll "never" allow self-serve gas legislation move forward on his watch, according to a report.

"I've never been a supporter of self-serve,'' Sweeney said during an Asbury Park Press editorial board meeting Tuesday. "The retailers are controlling the numbers. All you're doing is increasing their profit. You won't see the savings because it just disappears.''

Gov. Chris Christie has been at loggerheads with Sweeney and other Democratic lawmakers over a plan to raise New Jersey's gas tax in order to replenish the state's transportation trust fund, which has effectively run out of money for new projects.

The governor previously advocated cutting the state's sales tax in exchange for an increase on the gas tax, something Democratic lawmakers have rejected.

Christie recently suspended all non-essential transportation projects in the state, drawing Sweeney's ire Tuesday.

"People aren't working when there is work they could be doing,'' Sweeney said. "I never dreamed we'd be at this point without having the TTF done. Because of how the state refused to address this in the past, a lot of our options have been taken away. There are no rabbits we can pull out a hat.''

Democrats want to hike the gas tax to 37.5 cents per gallon, up from 14.5 cents per gallon.

The New Jersey Gasoline-C-Store-Automotive Association, a trade group representing gas stations, predicted average self-serve discounts of a ten cents or more per gallon if the ban on self-serve fueling is scrapped.

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.