Georgia governor signs bill to suspend state motor fuel tax

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Friday to temporarily suspend the state’s tax on motor fuel sales.

The state Senate approved House Bill 304 on Thursday after a debate that included a discussion of the energy policies of President Joe Biden’s administration. The measure suspends tax collections through May 31.

In a brief video message released at 5 p.m. Friday, Kemp largely blamed the increase in gas prices on Biden’s policies.

“We can’t fix everything that Washington has broken, but we are doing our part to lessen the impact on your wallet,” Kemp, a Republican, said in the video.

Georgia collects 29.1 cents a gallon on gasoline and 32.6 cents a gallon on diesel fuel.

The state collected about $157 million in motor fuel taxes last month. The state plans to dip into its rainy day fund to cover the $300 million to $400 million the state stands to lose by suspending the tax.

According to AAA, Georgia’s average gas price of $4.22 a gallon for regular is slightly below the national average of $4.274 a gallon as of Friday afternoon. Georgia’s average is higher than the $3.377-per-gallon price a month ago and $2.744-per-gallon price a year ago.