Ohio Looking at Options to Replace Gas Tax

Calling the gas tax an unsustainable way to fund transportation infrastructure, the Ohio Department of Transportation is studying its options.

Using a $4 million federal grant, Ohio developed a website to seek public opinion on potential funding options. Those results will eventually be forwarded to the General Assembly later this year, according to a promotional video produced by ODOT.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Opposes Biden’s Call to Suspend Gas Taxes

While President Joe Biden this week began urging Congress to suspend the national gas tax for three months and asking states to do the same with their gas levies, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) came out against the idea. 

The federal government charges gasoline buyers $0.18 per gallon and diesel motorists $0.24 per gallon. The Buckeye State meanwhile imposes a $0.385-per-gallon tax on gasoline as well as a $0.47-per-gallon tax on diesel and other fuel types. Both levels of government use the revenues from these sources to fund transportation projects. Biden maintains that dollars flowing to the U.S. Treasury are sufficient to prevent compromising federal highway repairs in the event of a three-month tax holiday.

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Ohio Senator Proposes Eliminating State Income Tax

Ohioans would no longer pay state income tax and the state would become the 10th without it if a bill recently filed in the Senate becomes law.

Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, introduced a plan to lower the tax rate in each bracket by 10% a year over the next 10 years, eventually eliminating the state income tax completely.

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‘Gasoline Misery Index’ Details Direct Impact of Record-High Gas Prices

The “Gasoline Misery Index” from the Metro Business Daily Network details the direct impact record-high gas prices have had on consumers across the United States.

Since President Joe Biden took office, prices of gas and other goods and services have continued to increase, as many peaked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan Blames Putin for Rising Gas Prices

Tim Ryan

An Ohio U.S. congressman and U.S. Senate candidate has joined many of his Democrat counterparts in blaming Russia and its President Vladimir Putin for skyrocketing gas prices. 

“Today I’ll vote to ban U.S. dollars from funding Putin’s war machine. Now we must do everything in our power to shield working people from Putin’s price hike at the pump by fully restoring America’s energy independence and passing a working-class tax cut,” Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) said Wednesday on Twitter.

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Ohio Sen. Stephen Huffman Wants to Reduce State’s Gas Tax

An Ohio state senator wants to lower the state’s gasoline tax to pre-2019 levels for the next five years, but a panel of state economists believe the plan is a bad idea.

Sen. Stephen Huffman, R-Tipp City, believes Ohioans could use the break, especially when the federal government has committed to giving the state 10 times more revenue over the same time span than the gas tax traditionally generates.

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Michigan House GOP Pushes Own Infrastructure Plan, Rejecting Whitmer’s 45 Cent Gas Tax Hike

by Tyler Arnold   Michigan House Republicans unveiled an infrastructure funding plan that would divert all revenue generated from sales taxes paid on gasoline purchases to fund road improvements, rejecting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to increase road funding through a 45-cent gas tax hike. The Republican plan would provide about $800…

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Michigan Senate’s Budget Excludes Gas Tax Proposed by Gov. Whitmer, Potential Veto

by Tyler Arnold   The Michigan Senate passed a budget package that secured some additional funding for roads, but falls far short of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed road funding and excludes her proposed 45-cent gas tax hike, which would nearly triple the tax. “We are … investing an additional…

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Communities Brace for Diesel Tax Increases After DeWine Signs Gas Tax Into Law

Tennessee Star

In one of his first major acts in office, Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed into law the state’s first gas tax increase since 2005. The issue has been the focal point of his first few months in office, and negotiations with House and Senate Republicans have not been easy. But…

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Ohio Legislature Reaches Compromise on Gas Tax Hike

Late Tuesday night, a joint legislative committee of the Ohio House and Senate reached a compromise on the controversial and divisive gas-tax hike. The gas tax will increase by 10.5 cents per gallon, and 19 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. While this falls short of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s original…

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Gas Prices Spike as Ohio Legislature Approves Gas Tax Hike

The American Automobile Association (AAA) announced Monday that only three months into 2019, the nation’s average gas price has spiked by almost 45 cents. Ohio prices increased as well, but by slightly less than the national average. While Ohioans may be relieved, experts are predicting that these price increases are expected…

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Ohio Conference Committee Fails to Reach Deal on Gas Tax, Cancels Monday Meeting

The Ohio Legislature failed to agree on a transportation budget before its midnight deadline Sunday. While several items were agreed to, a comprise hasn’t yet been reached on the gas tax. As The Ohio Star reported, the Ohio House and Gov. Mike DeWine settled on an 11-cent gas-tax increase, seven…

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Ohio Joint Legislative Committee Fails to Reach Compromise on Gas Tax Hike

Thursday’s joint committee meeting to find a compromise on the controversial gas tax hike appears to have ended inconclusively. As previously reported, the gas tax hike has proved an extremely divisive start to the legislative calendar.  Currently, House Bill 62 (HB 62), the 2020-21 Ohio Transportation Budget, the first major bill…

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Another Poll Shows Ohioans Don’t Want DeWine’s Gas Tax

A new poll from The Buckeye Institute shows that 65 percent of Ohioans oppose Gov. Mike Dewine’s 18-cent gas-tax hike, consistent with the results of a Tuesday poll from Baldwin Wallace University. As The Ohio Star reported Tuesday, Baldwin Wallace found that just 6.5 percent of Ohioans “strongly support” an…

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Buckeye Institute Blasts Tax Hike, Warns Legislators: ‘Don’t Increase the Tax Burden on Ohioans!’

A joint committee of the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate was convened Wednesday in the hopes of reconciling the major divides in their respective transportation budgets. As they work towards a solution, one state think tank is reminding them not to forget the consequences Ohio citizens will face as a result…

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Poll Finds Most Ohioans Oppose DeWine’s Gas Tax Proposal

A new poll shows that Ohioans overwhelmingly oppose Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal for an 18-cent gas-tax increase. DeWine has called the 18-cent increase a “minimalist, conservative approach” and the “absolute bare minimum we need to protect our families and our economy,” but Ohioans disagree. According a statewide poll released Tuesday…

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Ohio Senate Breaks Even Further from Governor DeWine, Lowering Gas Tax to Six Cents

The Republican-held Ohio Senate joined Republicans in the House of Representatives in opposing Gov. Mike DeWine on his proposed gas-tax hike. House Bill 62 (HB 62), the 2020-21 Ohio transportation budget, first proposed by DeWine on Feb. 12, originally called for an 18 cent increase to the current gas tax. This was…

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Ohio’s Buckeye Institute Cautions Against ‘Blind Tax Hikes’

The Buckeye Institute’s Greg Lawson is warning state lawmakers against a “blind” gas-tax hike of 18 cents per gallon as proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine. “Before accepting Mr. DeWine’s proposal, the General Assembly must do its due diligence and determine whether raising the gas tax by 18 cents per gallon…

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Former Congressman Renacci Calls for Smarter Government Spending During Forum on Gas Tax

Ohio’s Future Foundation Chairman and former Congressman Jim Renacci hosted a forum on the gas tax Monday evening with Greg Lawson of The Buckeye Institute and Paul Lewis of the Eno Center for Transportation. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) has been pushing for an 18-cent gas tax increase, which Monday night’s…

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Governor DeWine Blasts Republican Controlled House for Lowering Gas Tax Proposal

Governor Mike DeWine aggressively condemned his fellow Republicans Monday for not supporting his gas tax increase in a candid interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Board. During the interview, he accused them of outright endangering the safety of Ohioans statewide by not supporting his plan. DeWine, in one of…

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DeWine Sends ODOT Director to Senate to Lobby for 18-Cent Gas Tax

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Senate Transportation, Commerce, and Workforce Committee began hearing testimonies Monday on Gov. Mike DeWine’s demand for an 18-cent gas-tax increase. The chairman of that committee, Sen. Rob McColley (R-01) (pictured, left), however, made it clear that he and his fellow Senate Republicans oppose the 18-cent…

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Federalism Committee Chair John Becker Gauges Gas Tax as Ohio Statehouse Battle Ignites

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The battle over a gas tax increase has officially kicked off in the Ohio Statehouse. Since taking office, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has insisted that a gas tax was critically necessary to preserving and repairing the state’s decaying roads and bridges. Though many in the state on both…

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Columbus Democratic Mayor Backs Governor DeWine’s Gas Tax

COLUMBUS, Ohio– In a statement made via a Facebook Video, Columbus, Ohio’s Democratic Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced that he is backing DeWine’s 18 cent gas tax hike. The mayor said he is backing the bill because: It will help us increase our funding for infrastructure in Columbus neighborhoods by 19 million a year.…

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DeWine Breaks from Republicans on Gas Tax

COLUMBUS, Ohio–In Tuesday’s State of the State Address, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine made it very clear he would not back down on the 18 cent gas tax, leaving many state Republicans in a complicated position. In his Address, DeWine made it clear that, not only was the gas tax…

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Michigan’s Democratic Governor Pushes for an Enormous Gas Tax Increase

by Chris White   Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing what some opponents are calling a draconian gas tax increase to fix the state’s crumbling road infrastructure. Whitmer’s budget proposal will include a 45-cent gas tax increase, which would be phased in over three separate intervals, the governor’s spokeswoman…

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DeWine’s First State of the State Address Focuses on Long Term Plans for Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio– Tuesday, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine addressed a joint session of the Ohio legislature in his first State of the State Address. While he covered several topics ranging from workforce development to infrastructure repair, the speech’s main focus was three key points; the gas tax, greater protections for children, and environmental action.…

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What to Expect from Ohio Governor DeWine’s State of the State Address

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine is scheduled to give his first State of the State Address Tuesday, but don’t expect any major revelations from it. In an interview last week, the first term governor stated, “I don’t think you’ll find any great surprises,” adding: We’re going to talk…

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Ohio Department Of Transportation Introduces Comprehensive Gas Tax that Could Increase Every Year

Tennessee Star

Friday, Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks formally introduced the proposed 2020-21 Biennial Budget. House Bill 62 (HB 62), the budget’s formal designation, includes an 18-cent gas tax increase. While lower than some reports have suggested, the proposed tax will give Ohio one of the highest gas tax rates in the country.…

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Ohio Governor DeWine to Announce Gas Tax Hike

At an annual forum sponsored by the Associated Press, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday he intends to formally recommend raising the current gas tax. The recommendation will come as he introduces his first two-year transportation budget on Friday. Despite appointing an Advisory Committee on Transportation Infrastructure Issues specifically to explore…

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Governor’s Committee on Road Repair Issues Report: Gas Tax Hike for Ohio

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s hand-picked Advisory Committee on Transportation has issued its final report on how best to address the deteriorating condition of Ohio’s roads and bridges. As early reports suggested, a gas tax hike is their only solution. The 15 member panel agreed that raising taxes on the price of…

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Governor DeWine Accelerates Gas Tax Planning with No Limits Set

It’s safe to say that when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed his “Governor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation” to develop solutions for paying for road and bridge repairs, citizens were hoping they’d come up was some creative answers. Instead, the committee reached a consensus last week that the primary means by which…

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DeWine Appointed Committee Recommends Gas Tax Hike for Ohio

After two meetings and two hours of public testimony, the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation has, so far, agreed on only one thing to save Ohio’s roads and bridges: raise taxes. As previously reported, the committee was officially launched on January 31st. Hand-picked by Governor Mike DeWine, the bipartisan committee of industry…

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French President Macron Waves The White Flag On Carbon Taxes

by Michael Bastasch   French President Emmanuel Macron decided to scrap the planned carbon tax on fuels after weeks of protests rocked Paris and other major cities across the country. An Élysée Palace official told The Associated Press Wednesday that “the president decided to get rid of the tax.” Macron’s decision comes one…

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Indicted Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown Loses Election

Jimmy Brown

Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown, who is under indictment for alleged abuse of power, lost his re-election bid last Thursday. And, a race with statewide interest is drawing questions over irregularities. Military and law enforcement veteran John Myers, a Republican, beat the Democratic sheriff by 53 percent to 31 percent,…

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Tennessee House District 75: Bruce Griffey Challenge to Rep Tim Wirgau Has Become a House Race to Watch

Tim Wirgau, Bruce Griffey

While much of the focus during the Republican primary season has  been on the 18 House seats vacated by Republican legislators who are retiring or seeking other offices a handful of challenges to incumbents are attracting increasing attention. One of those races is in West Tennessee’s 75th District (covering Henry,…

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Democrats Target Republican Mae Beavers with Facebook Attack Claiming She ‘Opposes Tax Cuts’

Mae Beavers

A Democrat Party PAC is hitting conservative Republican candidate for Wilson County Mayor Mae Beavers with a Facebook ad that claims she “opposes tax cuts.” The Tennesseans for Common Sense PAC, with leadership that includes longtime liberal Democrat activist Carol Andrews, is also running radio ads, purchased at least one…

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OFF THE RECORD: GOP 6th Congressional District John Rose – Will Little Brother Track Big Sister’s Farm Bureau Agenda?

John Rose, Rhodena Rose

Multi-millionaire John Rose is running in the GOP primary for Diane Black’s seat to represent the 6th Congressional District. He will face off with proven ultra-conservative state Rep. Judd Matheny, self-described conservative retired judge Bob Corlew, and the whoever-heard-of-them candidates Christopher Monday and “U-turn” LaVern Vivio. Roses’s big sister is…

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