Pain at the pump: DeSantis proposes $1B in gas tax relief

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville on Monday announcing a new proposal that will save Floridians money when it comes to prices at the pump.

DeSantis proposed more than $1 billion in gas tax relief while addressing the media at Buc-ee’s in Daytona Beach.

The governor’s proposal will be part of the next legislative session.

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According to DeSantis, inflation is taking its toll on working class families in Florida.

The price of a turkey dinner is up 20% from last year, the governor said.

DeSantis went on to say that Florida families are really feeling the pinch at the pump and this proposal could save the average family up to $200 over the course of a five-to-six month period.

Read: DeSantis says he plans to bring relief to Floridians at the gas pump

“People are having to pay a lot more for gas and if you think about it, people commuting to work, people having to take care of their kids, do all this stuff, it isn’t like you can get around it and just stop doing the basic things of life, so that’s a cost that really gets imposed on a lot of people who are working hard, and this has a huge impact.”

The governor’s proposal will essentially take 25 cents from Florida state when assessing gas taxes on the federal, state and local level, and those savings will be passed along to the consumer.

“Florida is in great financial decision and is in a position to do something about it,” DeSantis said.

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“We’ve always been very strong on tax relief in Florida,” DeSantis said. “We did things like sportsman’s relief, we’ve done back to school, we’ve done all that stuff and that’s good, but this is I think really big to be able to help people.”

The governor was joined by Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault as well as other state reps and business leaders at Monday’s news conference.

“If this in fact happens and they lower the tax, the day they lower it, we’ll roll back the pumps the entire 25 cents instantly,” said Buc-ee’s CEO Arch Aplin III.

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DeSantis also reiterated that Florida ports are open for business and operate 24/7, which could help alleviate supply chain issues, and said he is doing his part to protect Floridians against inflation as best as he can.

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