Ohioans experienced the second highest gas tax increase in the nation on July 1.
Twelve states raised their gas taxes at the start of the month, and Ohio was second only to Illinois, which introduced a 19-cent increase on gasoline taxes. In Ohio, gas taxes increased by 10.5 cents, bringing the total gas tax to 38.5 cents per gallon.
According to data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Ohio ranked higher than 10 other states where gas taxes went into effect July 1, including California, South Carolina, Maryland, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Indiana, Montana, Michigan, and Nebraska.
In California, gas taxes increased by 5.6 cents, roughly half of the increase in Ohio.
Ohio’s gas tax increase was signed into law in April by Gov. Mike DeWine as part of his proposed transportation budget. Diesel prices in the state increased by 19 cents, bringing the total diesel tax to 47 cents.
“We are 11 days into the new state gas tax increase and gas prices are circling around $3.00 a gallon,” Ohio’s Future Foundation said in a statement posted to Facebook. “State career politicians need to start doing the work of the people who elected them instead of taking the easy path of tax and spend. Our tax system in Ohio is broken and lazy politicians don’t seem to want to fix it.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
