ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has extended Georgia's gas tax suspension through most of the summer.
Kemp made the announcement on Friday, while also mentioning he renewed the State of Emergency for Supply Chain Disruptions Executive Order.
Both will be effective until Aug. 13.
The gas tax was first suspended back in March as prices initially ballooned, and then extended in May as Georgians began to see another surge in prices.
According to GasBuddy, the average price for a gallon of gas in Atlanta is $4.41 a gallon. That's about 43 cents below the national average, according to AAA.
"To provide actual relief to Georgians, I am once again extending the supply chain state of emergency and suspending our state motor fuel tax. In addition to these actions, I am suspending the locomotive fuel tax to help fight rising costs that are being passed on to consumers," the governor noted in a statement.
Under state law, Kemp can suspend taxes by executive order as long as state lawmakers ratify the action the next time they meet. Kemp abated gas taxes in 2021 during a pipeline shutdown, and former Gov. Nathan Deal suspended gas taxes multiple times.
In announcing the extension of the suspension, Kemp blamed high gas prices on President Joe Biden.
“I am committed to fighting to ease the economic burden hardworking Georgians are facing due to disastrous policies from Washington politicians,” Kemp said in a news release.
The price of gas has risen dramatically around the world since Russian President Vladimir Putin began amassing troops on the border of Ukraine. Biden last month called for a three-month suspension of federal gasoline and diesel taxes, though the proposal was met by doubts from many lawmakers.
Democrat Stacey Abrams, who's challenging the Republican Kemp in the governor's race in November, said on Twitter Friday that “it's past time for Brian Kemp to commit to suspending the gas tax through the end of the year.”
Georgia’s gasoline price normally includes a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon and a state tax of 29.1 cents per gallon. A number of cities and counties also charge taxes. Federal taxes on diesel fuel are 24.4 cents per gallon, while Georgia’s tax on diesel is 32.6 cents per gallon.
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