As prices fall, Kemp extends gas tax break
New gas tax order expires in September
Gov. Brian Kemp is once again extending the suspension of the state gas tax as gas prices continue to fall after reaching record highs.
Kemp’s order, which was set to lapse later this month, will now run through mid-September. He has also extended the supply chain emergency declaration.
“Hardworking residents of the Peach State have been feeling the consequences of Joe Biden’s recession long before it was announced,” Gov. Kemp said in a video message on Wednesday. “We can’t fix everything Washington has broken, but we’re doing our part to combat the economic headwinds caused by the President’s failed policies.”
Since suspending the state gas tax in March, Gov. Kemp has highlighted the fact that Georgia’s gas prices have been among the lowest in the country.
But since reaching a nationwide peak of $5 per gallon in June, gas prices have been steadily trending downward. Here in Georgia, the current average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.72, according to AAA. That is down from $4.32 nearly a month ago.
Gas prices and other economic concerns are set to be a major issue in the 2022 campaign. Half of voters described rising prices as an “extremely important factor” in how they will vote this November, according to a July survey from the University of Georgia.
Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is waging a rematch against Kemp in the race for governor, has pressured the Republican to suspend the gas tax through the end of the year. Kemp has dismissed her position as a campaign tactic to distract voters from inflation.
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