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Committee ratifies governor's temporary suspension of motor fuel taxes after Hurricane Helene
Summary
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved House Resolution 42, which ratifies the governor's temporary suspension of diesel and motor fuel taxes following Hurricane Helene; sponsors said it saved taxpayers $140–$160 million at the pump during the suspension.
The Senate Finance Committee approved House Resolution 42, a resolution ratifying the governor’s temporary suspension of the state motor fuel and diesel taxes following Hurricane Helene. Committee members said the suspension was intended to reduce costs at the pump for Georgians during the storm response and recovery period.
Representative Dean Gamble, identified in the committee as the governor's floor leader, presented the resolution and described it as a procedural ratification of the governor’s action. "This is a procedural matter," Gamble said, and he told the committee the suspension saved motorists collectively between $140 million and $160 million at the gas pump during the two-week period the suspension was in effect.
Committee members asked procedural and fiscal questions. Senator O'Rourke raised the distributional effect of the suspension, noting that although the benefit appears at the pump, the cost is borne from general funds. Vice Chairman Albers praised the measure as timely relief following high inflation, and Senator Estevez asked about per-motorist savings. The presenter said the sponsor could provide an average-per-motorist estimate later but noted the collective savings figure and summarized that the reduction equated to roughly 30 cents per gallon during the suspension.
The committee moved, seconded and approved the resolution by voice vote with no recorded opposition in the transcript. Senator Drew Eccles was named as the Senate sponsor for the senate side of the ratification.
