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Georgia House ratifies governor's temporary suspension of motor-fuel taxes
Summary
The House adopted a resolution (HR 42) ratifying Gov. Brian P. Kemp's suspension of motor fuel and diesel taxes tied to emergency executive orders issued during Hurricane Helene. The chamber recorded a unanimous vote in favor, and sponsors said the suspensions saved Georgia drivers roughly $140'$160 million while the emergency was in effect.
The Georgia House of Representatives on Feb. 18 adopted House Resolution 42 to ratify Governor Brian P. Kemp's executive orders temporarily suspending the collection of motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes during the emergency response to Hurricane Helene.
Representative Matthew Gamble presented the resolution on behalf of the governor, saying the temporary suspensions were issued in consultation with legislative leadership and helped Georgians at the gas pump. "These suspensions saved Georgians between $140 to $160,000,000 at the gas pumps during that time as we all were feeling the impacts of Hurricane Helene," Gamble said.
The resolution cites three executive orders (as read on the floor) that suspended collection of those taxes during the declared state of emergency. Representative Hong raised a parliamentary inquiry about the historical effect of such suspensions; the clerk then reported the vote totals. The yeas were 172 and the nays were 0, and the resolution was adopted.
The measure is procedural: it ratifies actions the governor had already taken during an emergency. The House did not amend or extend the underlying orders on the floor. The record shows the chamber's action was limited to confirming the executive suspensions rather than creating a new, ongoing exemption.
The adoption of HR 42 concluded without debate on substantive changes to state tax law; members who spoke framed the vote as an emergency procedural ratification. The clerks recorded the vote and the House moved on to other business.
