COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine wants lawmakers to put the brakes on a proposal to halt the collection of Ohio's newly increased taxes on gas and diesel fuel.
The Republican governor and GOP lawmakers reached a deal in 2019 to boost Ohio's tax on gas by 10.5 cents a gallon and the tax on diesel fuel by 19 cents to help maintain deteriorating roads and bridges. Ohioans now pay a state tax rate of 38.5 cents per gallon on gas and 47 cents a gallon on diesel fuel.
State Sen. Steve Huffman, a Tipp City Republican, has introduced a bill reducing both the gas and diesel tax to 28 cents per gallon, a proposal coming as Ohio prepares to receive millions in federal infrastructure improvement dollars.
But DeWine said halting the new gas tax now would be a mistake. “Infrastructure is vitally important to the economic development of the state and the creation of jobs,” he told Gongwer News Service.
As one example, the governor cited the proposed overhaul of the Brent Spence Bridge, which carries traffic over the Ohio River and connects Cincinnati with Northern Kentucky.
