Gas Tax Suspension Approved By Full Georgia House As Prices Reach Record Highs

GEORGIA — The Georgia House unanimously approved Friday legislation to suspend the state’s gas tax.

Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted Friday that HB 304 will bring temporary relief to Georgia families now that gas prices have reached record highs because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

“Thank you to the Georgia House of Representatives for voting unanimously to pass HB 304 today, helping us bring relief to hardworking Georgians by temporarily halting the state gas tax,” Kemp said in his tweet.

He said that the bill now moves to the Senate and that he will sign it into law when it passes.

Kemp said Tuesday he wants to "lessen the significant impact" higher gas prices are having on families. Georgia's gas price ranked 22th in the United States, according to GasBuddy. On Friday, gas averaged $4.29 a gallon in Georgia.

Prices are up 53 cents from last week. Gas prices have not gone over $4 since 2008, according to GasBuddy.

Georgia collects a state excise tax of 28.7 cents per gallon on gasoline sales, according to a January 2022 report from American Petroleum Institute. Georgians pay 55.95 cents per gallon accounting for all state and federal taxes and fees.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas Friday across Georgia was:

• Atlanta: $4.33
• Fulton County: $4.38
• Dekalb County: $4.34
• Gwinnett County: $4.31
• Forsyth County: $4.31
• Barrow County: $4.33
• Cherokee County: $4.30
• Cobb County: $4.31
• Paulding County: $4.29
• Douglas County: $4.31

The increases mark the largest price hikes since Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, devastating the nation's oil and gas industry, according to CNN.