Georgia gas tax suspension extended through mid-October

ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday Georgia's gas tax will remain suspended through Oct. 12. 

Kemp has delayed the deadline to resume collecting motor fuel taxes further back since he signed an order in March to suspend gas tax collection when prices soared at record rates.

That initial action would have ended in May if the governor hadn't extended it multiple times.

"With our nation experiencing 40-year high inflation, ongoing supply chain challenges, and some of the highest gas prices ever, Democrats in D.C. continue to spend taxpayer money with no regard for the costs and its impact on hardworking families," Kemp said in a statement. "While these politicians continue to double down on bad policies, we are using the means available to us to provide much-needed relief to Georgians. As I've said since we first suspended the fuel tax back in March, we can't fix everything Washington has broken, but we can use the resources we have as a result of our responsible budgeting to keep more money in the pockets of hardworking Georgians."

According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, the state collects a little less than $0.29 per gallon in taxes.

The average price per gallon of gas in Georgia was around $3.38 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline on Monday, according to AAA. The price has fallen about 44 cents in a month and is 43 cents higher than this time last year. 

"Georgia drivers continue to see relief at the pumps," AAA spokeswoman Montrae Waiters said. "But now we need to keep an eye on the weather as hurricane season arrives. These storms can affect prices by disrupting oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and impacting large coastal refineries."

Another order also extended the supply chain state of emergency.