TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The president banned gas imports from Russia on Tuesday. On Wednesday, gas prices shot up to $4.25 across the country. Today, it’s over $4.30 and Florida gas prices are higher than the national average. State gas prices are $1.51 more than they were a year ago.
While the majority of the nation has pump prices at about $4.31 on average, the Sunshine State is reported in at $4.34 per gallon. It’s the first time this year that gas in Florida has passed the nation’s average cost, adding to the pain residents are feeling at the pump.
Still, Florida does not have the highest gas prices in the country. That ranking still has California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island ahead of the rest of the U.S. when it comes to fuel costs.
The lowest gas in the country can be found in Kansas.
While gas prices surge, gas use continues to remain high. Florida is the third largest state by population in the country, and plenty of workers commute every day. They’re the drivers feeling the pinch at the pump the most. To address gas price hikes in earlier months, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pitched the idea of cancelling the state’s gas tax for the coming fiscal year.
Nationally, party leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have also been asked to consider cutting the national gas tax for the rest of 2022 to provide some relief to Americans. Six Democratic state governor asked federal leaders to consider putting their support behind the Gas Prices Relief Act to “alleviate the consumer cost of rising gas prices while protecting the federal government’s capacity to make infrastructure investments.”
The governors who signed the letter said it would help save residents money at the pump and put “dollars back in consumers’ pockets” for things like groceries, childcare, and rent, all of which continue to grow more expensive due to inflation.
The Florida Legislature did not include such a move in the budget, but with prices now hitting historic highs and inflation levels continuing to rise, there’s a possibility that plan could see new light. Instead, legislators have floated the potential for a series of tax holidays to cut back on sales taxes to save money, rather than reducing taxes at gas pumps. If a gas tax were removed for the rest of the year, it could cut costs per gallon by $0.25, DeSantis said in November.
When he first pitched the idea, Florida gas prices were at $3.36 per gallon. DeSantis’ initial idea for a gas tax cut would have saved consumers an estimated $1 billion. Now, Florida lawmakers are exploring a potential gas-tax break in October to provide relief, included in House Bill 7071. The proposed legislation also creates a series of tax credits and refunds for various taxes, in addition to other tax holidays for consumers.
The most recent version of the bill passed the House unanimously, as lawmakers from both parties look to help their constituents during the record levels of cost increases that have yet to slow down. The Senate’s “conforming” version of the bill, SB 2508 is also poised to pass, as both chambers work on ironing out differences before sending it to DeSantis to sign into law, or veto. If passed, it would potentially save Floridians millions of dollars.
