Folks fueling up in Georgia have had a break at the pumps since September. On the 13th of that month, the Peach State governor wiped out fuel tax. The fuel tax holiday meant gasoline buyers saw a 31.2-cent-a-gallon savings. Diesel drivers caught a 35-cent break. But no more. Newspaper editor Gideon Tucker’s comment “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session” takes on new meaning.
Fuel tax holiday declared
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp scrubbed the fuel taxes when he declared a state of emergency on September 13. Kemp declared the emergency “due to ongoing high prices and uncertain economic conditions caused by failed policies coming out of Washington, D.C.” Giving economic relief to Georgians and visitors was the aim of the declaration, which originally expired October 12. But the governor extended it through November 29.
Like leftover turkey, the holiday was only good for so long
But like leftover turkey, the emergency declaration was only good for so long. The governor has been constrained from breathing new life into his declaration because of fine print in Georgia state law. A governor can only declare a state of emergency when the legislature is not in session. But after gobbling their Thanksgiving dinners down, Georgia state lawmakers trotted back into Atlanta for a special legislative session on November 29. No extension of the emergency declaration that would kibosh fuel tax collection could be made.
The Legislature is expected to adjourn later this week. Kemp could decide to bring back the fuel tax holiday. In any event, Georgia’s motor fuel prices are already low, compared to the rest of the country. The average diesel fuel price is $4.062. That’s about 13 cents below the national average for a gallon of on-highway diesel fuel, according to AAA. Georgia’s average gas price is $3.078. That’s about 16 cents below the national average for a gallon of regular.
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Thank you, Russ and Tina! The presumption around here (metro Chattanooga) is that gasoline will be cheaper in Georgia than Alabama or Tennessee. So, people tend to buy gasoline while they are in Georgia or simply go to Georgia, which is easily reached from either other state (all three states converge just west of Chattanooga).