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Local lawmaker suggests cutting state’s gas tax; How he says it could help you save at the pump

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

SIDNEY — As families get hammered with inflation and high prices, some states offer relief, including Ohio.

A local lawmaker said that he thinks cutting the state’s gas tax will help drivers.

Part of Senator Steve Huffman’s District is Tipp City.

He suggests dropping the state’s 10.5 cents gas tax increase for the next five years.

Huffman said this could save Ohio families $30 to $50 a month.

“That adds up and it certainly would help a lot of the working families that are out there, struggling with the inflation right now,” Huffman told News Center 7′s Haley Kosik.

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Ohio lawmakers increased the state’s gas tax in 2019 to help fund infrastructure projects.

Huffman thinks the state can afford to drop the tax as they have received $10 billion in COVID-19 relief funds.

Scott Peltier of Sidney said he drives an economy car and still spends up to $80 to fill up his tank.

CBS News reported there are about a dozen other states trying to help its residents.

Georgia’s governor will be sending state residents checks up to $500 each.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing to send $400 per vehicle to state residents, with a cap of two vehicles.

>> Gas prices hit record high in Ohio, AAA says

But some Ohioans think freebies are not the answer.

“Well I’m really opposed to just handing out money because somebody’s got to pay for it,” Peltier said.

James Coburn agreed.

“No, I don’t think anything should be free honestly,” Coburn said.

Lawmakers say giving away money is not that simple.

“I mean we could always do more, but we have to have that balance between stimulating the economy too much and driving us into a recession,” Huffman said.

When Huffman first shared his gas tax plan a few weeks ago, Gov. Mike Dewine said he was against the idea and now was not the time to pull back on that kind of revenue.

Huffman’s plan is still in committee.



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