Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday extended the gas tax holiday for another two weeks as summer travel season is about to kick off and motorists deal with the highest fuel prices in four years.
The suspension saves drivers 33 cents per gallon on gasoline and 37 cents per gallon on diesel. It will go into effect the morning of May 20 and run through June 3.
“As Georgia families prepare for the Memorial Day travel weekend, they should not feel blindsided by prices at the gas pump,” Kemp said in a news release.
In late March, Georgia was the first state to pass a gas tax holiday in response to rising fuel costs amid the war in Iran, which has disrupted the global flow of energy. The suspension was set to expire next week.
The gas tax break has kept prices in Georgia lower than the national average, which was $4.53 per a gallon of regular unleaded as of Friday afternoon, according to AAA.
Still, metro Atlanta motorists have seen the cost of gas soar about 22% over the 12 months that ended in April, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In metro Atlanta, the average price for regular unleaded gas was about $4.05 per gallon as of Friday afternoon, and diesel up to nearly $5.14 per gallon, according to AAA.
This week, President Donald Trump floated the idea of pausing the federal gas tax, which could save drivers more pennies off the dollar. But only Congress has the authority to pass such a measure, and it’s unclear how much support the idea could garner.
The federal gas tax funds the Highway Trust Fund, which pays for highway and transit projects, so suspending the tax would come at a cost.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
