CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Ray Hunkins says he supports the effort to repeal Wyoming's tax on groceries permanently.

Hunkins planned a press conference in Casper on Monday to announce that he will use his campaign for governor to help gather signatures for the effort to put permanent repeal of the tax before voters in 2008.

After years of wrangling over the issue, the Legislature this spring approved a budget bill that removed the tax on groceries for two years. While the tax on groceries was lifted July 1, it will automatically be imposed again after two years unless voters either repeal it or legislators take some other action.

Rep. Ann Robinson, D-Casper, had pressed for the repeal of the grocery tax for most of her 10 years in the Legislature. She sponsored a bill this year to remove the tax permanently but it was defeated. She then succeeded in getting the two-year repeal included in the main budget bill.

Although Hunkins stated in a press release that he intends to use his campaign to gather signatures for the permanent repeal effort, Robinson said that was news to her. She said she would welcome the support of Hunkins and anyone else who supports repeal of the tax on food.

"I haven't heard anything about it," Robinson said of Hunkins' involvement.

In order to get the permanent repeal question on the ballot, Robinson said supporters must file the signatures of 36,868 registered voters with the Secretary of State's Office by December. To be on the safe side, she said they would probably need to file 60,000 signatures to account for those who might sign when they're not eligible.

Robinson, who's not running for re-election to the Legislature, said that when she first started pushing the repeal of the food tax, opposition to repealing the tax on groceries generally broke down along party lines, with Republican lawmakers opposing the idea and Democrats supporting it.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal has openly supported making the tax repeal permanent.

"My view is, `Welcome aboard.' It's kind of a day late and a dollar short, but we're glad to have him," Freudenthal said Monday.

Freudenthal said he senses general agreement around the state that the tax should be abolished permanently. He said Hunkins is essentially adopting ideas that Democratic legislators have promoted.

"It's just one more instance where Mr. Hunkins has chosen to agree with me," he said.