Georgia's Kemp declares state of emergency over inflation, suspends gas tax

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over inflation and other adverse economic conditions that he attributed to federal policy.

Kemp's executive order will suspend a state excise tax on fuel and take effect on Wednesday, a press release from his office stated. The tax will resume on Oct. 12.

"From runaway federal spending to policies that hamstring domestic energy production, all Bidenomics has done is take more money out of the pockets of the middle class," the governor declared. "While high prices continue to hit family budgets, hardworking Georgians deserve real relief and that's why I signed an executive order today to deliver it directly to them at the pump. Working with partners in the General Assembly, we'll continue to help Georgians weather the economic headwinds caused by this president, his administration, and their allies in Congress."

Kemp's decree comes the same day that the United States Census Bureau released data showing that poverty rates increased from 2021 to 2022, with the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) surging 4.6% to 12.4%. The increase marched the first overall uptick since 2010. In 2022, 37.9 million Americans lived in poverty.

Real incomes declined as well. Real median household income dropped from $76,330 to $74,580, marking a 2.3% decrease. Inflation surged 7.8% in the same interval, marking the largest cost of living increase since 1981.

The Biden administration has heavily touted the alleged successes of "Bidenomics" though the president remains below 40% approval on the economy in most polls.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.