Georgia Pauses Gas Tax, Saves Drivers 33 Cents Per Gallon

Georgia drivers are about to get a modest break from climbing fuel costs. Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed a 60-day suspension of the state gas tax, a move that drops roughly 33 cents per gallon from gasoline and 37 cents from diesel once new shipments reach stations. The measure, House Bill 1199, cleared the state Senate 51-0 a day earlier, CBS News reports. The average price for regular in the Atlanta area is about $3.79 a gallon, more than a dollar higher than a month ago and up 80 cents from this time last year, per AAA.

Atlanta Uber driver Christopher Reese welcomed the pause, saying his weekly fuel bill has jumped from about $350 to $400: "That'll be a relief. So I see more profit on my end." Moving company owner Orlando Lynch said higher fuel costs are adding roughly $7,000 a month to his expenses, and he warned that customers could eventually see higher prices. State Rep. Akbar Ali called the move a bipartisan response to a crisis. It's the fourth gas tax suspension under Kemp in recent years. The longest was from March 2022 to January 2023, per WSBTV, when prices climbed over $4 a gallon.