Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said Wednesday that the state has extended its moratorium on diesel and gasoline taxes through Nov. 29.
The suspension of motor and locomotive fuel taxes, at 31.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 35 cents per gallon of diesel, was set to expire Saturday. Kemp’s office said he wanted to provide fuel tax relief to drivers through the Thanksgiving holiday period.
Wednesday’s measure marks the third time since early summer that a fuel tax moratorium has been signed into law.
According to AAA, the average diesel pump price in Georgia stands at $3.999 a gallon. That is down from $4.96 a gallon a year ago. The national average for diesel pump prices stands at $4.39 a gallon, according to AAA data.
Motor fuel taxes in Georgia are paid to the state by fuel distributors and not by local gas stations. The gap between when distributors pay for taxed fuel and when the fuel reaches the pump means that fuel prices will rise based on the fill-up point.