Powell-area drivers could save 38.5 cents on every gallon of gas under a 90-day state tax suspension. The Ohio House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the measure Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Gov. Mike DeWine said on Monday, Sept. 28, that he has not committed to signing the bill but signaled openness if highway funding is protected.
"It should not be taken from there," DeWine said of road and bridge money during remarks reported by 10TV.
The companion bills, introduced Monday, Sept. 28, in the Ohio House and Senate, would suspend the 38.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax and the 47-cent diesel tax for 90 days. Legislative leaders estimate the average driver would save about $80 over that span.
How the state plans to cover the gap
Senate Bill 475 would draw roughly $725 million from the state's anticipated general revenue surplus to replace the lost tax money, cleveland.com reported. That approach scraps an earlier proposal from Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to tap the Ohio Department of Transportation's cash reserves and the state's $4 billion rainy-day fund.
Ohio's gas tax generates about $2.6 billion a year, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The Ohio Contractors Association warned that any suspension must include replacement funding so no project is delayed or canceled.
Ohio Office of Budget and Management spokesman Pete LuPiba said the Highway Operating Fund's $1.6 billion cash balance is already committed. In a statement, LuPiba says the fund "supports $5 billion open purchase orders for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. There is no money in the account that is not planned for future projects," according to the Journal.
The vote math
The bills carry an emergency clause that would let the suspension take effect immediately upon the governor's signature. That clause requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
Senate Republicans appear to have the 22 votes needed among their 24 members. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat, told cleveland.com in a Sept. 24 interview that she anticipates supporting the measure. Columbus Democrat Bill DeMora said he will vote no.
In the House, Republicans hold 64 seats with one vacancy. They need at least two Democratic votes to reach the 66-vote emergency threshold. Without two-thirds support, the tax cut would not take effect until late December, according to Signal Ohio.
Political backdrop
Both gubernatorial candidates pushed for a gas tax holiday the week of Monday, Sept. 21. Democrat Amy Acton called for one first; Ramaswamy announced his plan hours later. House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, called lawmakers back for the Wednesday session. McColley is Ramaswamy's running mate.
Columbus-area gas prices averaged $4.29 a gallon on Monday, Sept. 28, according to GasBuddy. That is $1.41 higher than a year ago. Ohio diesel hit an all-time high of about $6.48 a gallon on Sept. 17, according to AAA.
The House and Senate are scheduled to convene Wednesday in Columbus. If both chambers pass the bill with the emergency clause and DeWine signs it, the suspension would begin immediately.
