Georgia Gov. Kemp suspends state gas tax for 30 days

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Monday signed an executive order suspending the state’s gas tax for 30 days as the Iran war sends gas prices soaring .

The order, which starts at 12:01 a.m. EDT Tuesday, suspends Georgia’s motor fuel excise tax of 33.3 cents per gallon for gasoline and 37.3 cents per gallon for diesel. The suspension could cost the state about $200 million a month, though Kemp could offset this by using the state’s surplus, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported .

Kemp’s order also suspends weight restrictions on commercial vehicles to reduce the cost of transporting goods.

The governor said in a statement that the state government has been “able to give billions of dollars in relief to hardworking Georgians.” Kemp previously suspended the Peach State’s gas tax in March, an order that carried on through Memorial Day.

“We’ve remained committed to helping them and our small businesses fight through the tough times, and that’s why I’m taking this action today to give further relief,” he added.

The order received support from Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), state House Speaker Jon Burns (R) and Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.

“This announcement means immediate relief for Georgia families struggling to afford gas and groceries and Georgia farmers facing diesel prices that have more than doubled in recent weeks,” Harper said in Kemp’s statement. “We have been working closely with Gov. Kemp’s office to make this happen, and I am grateful that we have a governor who is willing to take action to give hardworking Georgians relief when fuel prices spike.”

Georgia’s average gas price sits at $4.19, almost 30 cents less than the national average. The state’s average last year was $2.88, according to AAA . Diesel in Georgia, at $6.35, is about 20 cents less than the national average.

Gas and diesel prices have skyrocketed over the past seven months since the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The Iranian government shut down the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20 percent of the world’s oil is exported, leading to a rise in prices.

These increases have hit Americans at home, already concerned about the cost of living after years of inflation. Sixty percent of respondents to Emerson College’s poll last week said President Trump’s economic policies are making the economy worse.

The president has dismissed concerns over the rising gas prices for several months, though he released 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in March. The stockpile hit below 300 million barrels of oil , the lowest it has been since 1982.

At a rally for GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley in North Carolina earlier this month, Trump said prices will go “ tumbling down ” after the conflict ends, “like rocket ships in reverse.”

“It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” he said. “Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.”