Rep. Brownlee Votes for Gas Tax Holiday, Says Ohioans Need More Relief

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Twp) today voted in favor of a 90-day gas tax holiday to provide immediate relief to Ohio drivers facing high prices at the pump.

The legislation temporarily reduces Ohio’s motor fuel tax and uses state General Revenue Fund (GRF) dollars to replace road maintenance and construction revenue that would otherwise be collected during the tax holiday. 

“When Ohioans are juggling skyrocketing housing costs, inflated food prices at the grocery store, and record-high fuel prices, HB 519 offers almost no relief at the pump. Ohioans will save only about $3/week with this bill,” said Rep. Brownlee. “Doing so little to address the affordability crisis is exactly why Ohioans complain that their state government doesn't work for them.  It shouldn't take an upcoming election to spur action and address the rising costs we are facing in this state. 

For Ohio families, the cost of living does not begin and end at the gas pump. Housing, utility bills, health care, child care, groceries and property taxes all determine how much money families have left at the end of the month. For families who are choosing between filling up the tank and paying another bill, immediate relief matters. But the high cost of living stretches far beyond the gas pump.

Ohio’s affordability crisis didn't start five weeks before an election. Ohioans have struggled with high gas prices, utility bills, housing costs and health care expenses for years. Gas prices peaked at an average of $4.83 in May, as the busy travel season began.  But Republicans ignored the struggle until it was politically convenient, when they realized weeks before election day that their gubernatorial candidate was behind in the polls.

Ohio House Democrats offered an alternative plan that would have provided immediate gas tax relief while making the state's resources go further for Ohio families. That proposal would have used the $1 billion previously allocated for the owners of the Cleveland Browns stadium, and would have included a $150 residential energy rebate, strong enforcement to ensure gas tax savings reach consumers, and expanded homestead property tax relief. The plan was ignored by House Republicans.

Rep. Brownlee will continue to advocate for a number of bills she introduced to address the affordability crisis. The Medicaid Savings Act (HB780) would lower healthcare costs by eliminating nearly a billion dollars per biennium in administrative overhead. The Housing Recovery Act (HB857) would incentivize the construction of more than 2,000 homes throughout the state. The FAMILY Act (HB438) would enshrine the key components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into the Ohio Revised Code to safeguard against Federal attacks on the ACA.

Rep. Brownlee said today's vote is part of the broader fight for affordability that Ohio House Democrats have been pursuing throughout the last few years. The gas tax holiday provides needed temporary relief for motorists, but Ohio families continue to face higher costs for housing, groceries, health care, and utilities especially going into winter and the holiday season.