By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
With average gas prices in Florida approaching $4 a gallon, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday there is no “simple fix” the state could enact.
Democrats in the state Legislature have asked the governor to temporarily lift the state’s 23.5-cent per gallon tax on gas. However, while appearing at PIER 22 in Bradenton, DeSantis said he’s concerned about the increase but that the solution is an issue for the federal government to address.
“My answer is just get the cost down internationally, and that means having stable energy markets, making sure we’re doing everything to get our stuff to market,” DeSantis said. “But I don’t know that there’s going to be any simple fix.”
An average gallon of gas in Florida on Thursday was $3.95, according to the auto club AAA. The price has leapt from $2.89 on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel began attacks targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior leadership.
The national average has gone from $2.98 to $3.88 in the same time.
Averages were more than $4 a gallon in parts of South Florida and the Big Bend region, with the average price Thursday at $4.17 in Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys.
Prior to the Iran conflict, Florida’s average had wavered around $2.85 a gallon since the start of December.
Last week, Democrats in the Legislature called for a temporary suspension of the state gas tax.
“In the last 60 days, we haven’t done anything to address Florida’s affordability crisis,” Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton said in a release. “We’re sitting on billions of dollars in reserves; the least we can do for Floridians during this time of economic crisis and war is provide relief at the gas pumps.”
DeSantis noted that the Legislature will return in mid-April to address the budget, which will include a tax relief package. However, to address affordability issues desired by Floridians, DeSantis maintained support for putting before voters in November a constitutional amendment to lower property taxes.
But DeSantis has pushed for gas tax relief before to address a surge in prices.
In 2022, after DeSantis proposed replacing the gas tax with federal COVID stimulus money for five months to cover the lost revenue, the Legislature agreed to lift the gas tax for the month of October as part of the tax package.
Gas Buddy reported that global oil prices — trading at just under $100 a barrel midday Thursday — have remained highly reactive to new developments after the U.S. attacked Iran and targeted Kharg Island over the weekend. However, some ships have successfully transited the Strait, and for now, the market appears less concerned about a broader escalation of the conflict, Gas Buddy posted.
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The state tax is only part of an average 40 cents per gallon combined state and local gasoline tax in Florida. Most of the spending that is subverting our nation is local spending. We need to starve out these horrible municipal and county governments that are bleeding the public dry and wasting our money. DeSantis should eliminate local gasoline taxes first, and should take a good look at eliminating all of the hidden local taxes and fees. He should then eliminate all of the openly imposed extortionate fees. If electricity was free, Tallahassee’s utility bills would still be ridiculously high because of the school tax and all of the add on fees.
How could Biden have done this to us?
Cannot wait for every MAGA out there to start putting ‘I did that!’ stickers w/Trump on them onto every gas pump they come across.
The funny part is if you are an electric customer of Tallahassee utilities and signed up for fixed prices per KWH from solar farm output, you are insulated from the price jumps associated with natural gas being more expensive. Renewable energy for the win!