Governors try to tamp down gas prices by suspending gas tax

Governors and state lawmakers are looking to give people a gas tax break as gas prices continue to climb.

Why it matters: Gas prices hit new highs in recent days amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and could go even higher due to bans on Russian oil exports.

State of play

• Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Thursday that he's working with state lawmakers on a 30-day gas tax suspension.
• Florida state legislators agreed Wednesday to use $200 million to give people a gas tax break in October in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) request, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said Monday that he is working "to quickly move legislation" that would temporarily suspend the state's gas price tax.
• State lawmakers in Michigan are planning to send Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) a temporary tax break proposal sometime next week, according to the Detroit Free Press.
• Republican Pennsylvania legislator Jake Corman is expected to introduce a bill that would cut the state's gas tax by a third by the end of 2021.

The big picture: Several governors are also calling on Congress to support a bill that would suspend the federal gas tax — 18.4 cents per gallon — for the rest of the year.

• "Money saved at the pump translates into dollars back in consumers’ pockets for groceries, childcare, rent, and more," six Democratic governors wrote in a letter to congressional leaders this week.