(The Center Square) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has not said whether he would seek to extend the state’s motor fuel tax suspension when it expires at the end of May. However, during a Wednesday morning interview with an Atlanta radio station, the governor indicated an announcement might be looming.
“I know Georgians need it; they’re getting killed at the pump right now, and they’re getting killed at the grocery store because of [President Joe] Biden’s 40-year high inflation, and quite honestly, … just bad policies in Washington, DC, like our domestic energy supply policy,” Kemp, a Republican, told WSB Radio.
“We’re going to try to keep helping Georgians fight through that; we just got to make sure we can afford it, and hopefully, we’ll have some news out on that pretty soon,” the governor added.
In March, Kemp signed House Bill 304 to suspend state collections of the gasoline tax on motor fuel sales through May 31.
The governor said it costs the state about $150 to $170 million per month in revenues. In March, officials said the state would dip into its rainy day fund to cover the $300 million to $400 million the state would lose by suspending the tax.
Georgia collects 29.1 cents a gallon on gasoline and 32.6 cents a gallon on diesel fuel. Kemp’s office did not respond to a previous request from The Center Square about whether the governor would explore options for extending the gas tax break.
As of Wednesday, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Georgia was $4.14 a gallon, below the national average of $4.599 a gallon, AAA . A year ago, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Georgia was $2.927 a gallon.
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
