Crime & Safety

Kemp Suspends Georgia Gas Tax, Declares State Of Emergency

The Georgia governor cited inflation for suspending the gas tax Tuesday, his second time since sitting at the helm of the Peach State.

Amanda Lumpkin, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp attends a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2023. The Republican governor is setting off for a two-week foreign trip that will include a visit to the nation of Georgia as well as a stop at the Paris.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp attends a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2023. The Republican governor is setting off for a two-week foreign trip that will include a visit to the nation of Georgia as well as a stop at the Paris. (Markus Schreiber/AP Photo, File)

ATLANTA, GA — For the second time since he began overseeing Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp has temporarily suspended the gas tax statewide.

The governor also declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to inflation. The order goes into effect midnight Wednesday and is set to end at 11:59 p.m., Oct. 12.

“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," Kemp said in a news release.

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Kemp said customers should start to see impact in prices after several days. Tuesday is the second time Kemp has suspended the gas tax - he did so last year from March-December.

The gas-price monitoring agency AAA recorded Tuesday an average of $3.570 per regular gallon in Georgia. The premium price was set at $4.358 per gallon.

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Just a year ago, regular gas costed $3.242 per gallon while $3.996 per gallon.

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