Ohio’s 38.5-cent-per-gallon state gas tax will be suspended for 90 days beginning Sunday, Oct. 4, after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 into law Thursday. The tax holiday, approved with bipartisan support in the General Assembly, also suspends the state’s diesel tax for the same period.
Lawmakers approved more than $725 million in taxpayer funds to backfill the road and infrastructure accounts the fuel taxes normally feed. Supporters say the average Ohio driver could save about $80 over the three-month suspension; Democrats estimated savings of roughly $3 per week. As of Oct. 1, AAA put Ohio’s average regular gas price at $4.1986 per gallon and diesel at $6.6552.
The holiday arrives weeks before the Nov. 3 election, and both gubernatorial candidates staked out positions on it: Republican Vivek Ramaswamy first proposed the suspension to GOP legislative leaders, while Democrat Amy Acton’s campaign noted she was the first candidate in the race to call for a gas tax holiday.
HB 519 passed the Ohio Senate on Sept. 30 before heading to DeWine’s desk. The suspension runs through early January, covering the busy holiday travel season.
