COLUMBUS — Ohio lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse on Wednesday, Sept. 30, for a rare election-season session to vote on suspending the state’s gas tax for 90 days, a proposal championed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy says high diesel prices — not politics — inspired the plan, which he first pitched while campaigning. Speaking at the Little Brown Jug harness race in Delaware County, he called the suspension “simple” and “relatively straightforward,” framing it as a running start on a broader affordability agenda he plans to pursue in January if elected.
For the suspension to take effect immediately, the bill must pass with two-thirds support in each chamber. In the Ohio House, Republicans will need Democratic votes to reach that threshold, setting up a test of whether the proposal has bipartisan legs or becomes a partisan wedge issue a week before early voting begins.
How Ohio would pay for the tax break remains the central flashpoint. Ramaswamy initially suggested using Ohio Department of Transportation highway reserves or the state’s rainy-day fund, which holds more than $4 billion. Gov. Mike DeWine has been adamant about not tapping highway funds, and Republican lawmakers have shown little appetite for dipping into rainy-day reserves either.
Democrats are skeptical of the idea and the timing. Top House Democrat Dani Isaacsohn of Cincinnati said he would rather redirect $600 million in unclaimed funds earmarked for a new domed Cleveland Browns stadium toward tax relief. Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, called the bill a gimmick meant to prop up an unpopular candidate, and he plans to vote no.
Notably absent from Wednesday’s agenda: property tax relief, data center moratoriums, the future of Flock cameras and a proposed child marriage ban — all issues Ramaswamy says he will take up after the election. Democrats also want a vote on a resolution urging an end to the war in Iran, which they blame for higher gas prices amid ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The vote lands just days before early voting starts in the Nov. 3 election, ensuring whatever happens in Columbus will echo on the campaign trail.