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Relief at the pump for Ohio drivers is here. Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday signed a bill that temporarily suspends the gas tax.
The 90-day suspension runs through the election and holiday season and comes after the state Legislature passed the bill on Wednesday.
Both parties’ candidates for governor, Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, called for suspending the gas tax. Last Wednesday, Ramaswamy and Ohio Republican leaders laid out a plan to temporarily suspend the 38.5-cent gas tax and 47-cent diesel tax.
On Wednesday, lawmakers returned to the Statehouse, despite not being in session, to pass House Bill 519.
The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Andrea White, who also spoke at last Wednesday’s press conference, said lawmakers were responding to the concerns of their constituents about rising costs and needing relief from high gas prices.
Ramaswamy, along with Senate President Rob McColley and House Speaker Matt Huffman, held another press conference on Wednesday following the passage of the bill, highlighting how the plan outlined just the week before “has been translated into reality.”
Live: Lower Gas Prices. Fully Funded Roads. Leadership Now. https://t.co/I41QtYRkjd
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) September 30, 2026
Ramaswamy also addressed the costs that Ohioans are facing. “The truth of the matter is families are struggling with affordability. Families need relief, and we had an opportunity this week to help those families, even if it’s just a little bit. A little bit means a lot when families are stretching themselves,” he said.
The Republican candidate for governor also touted fiscal responsibility.
“Ohio would have never had the fiscal strength to get this done [under Democrat control of the Legislature],” Ramaswamy said, adding that the plan “directly puts money in the pockets [of Ohioans].”
Although the bill received bipartisan support in both chambers, Ramaswamy on X and during his Wednesday remarks criticized 20 lawmakers who did not support the plan. Some “want to complain rather than solve the problems,” he said.
He later praised the Democrats who voted for the bill, saying they “worked together on a bipartisan basis to enact commonsense legislation that puts more money in the pockets of Ohioans that makes everyday life more affordable.”
He added that relief at the pump is “a preview” what his administration would do if elected.
“[This is] a constructive partnership with leaders in both chambers, working together to solve problems for Ohioans, to make the lives of Ohio families a little bit better, a little bit at a time,” Ramaswamy said.
Drivers can expect more than a $6 break on a fill-up of a full tank of gasoline. Officials said the lower price of gas should also have a ripple effect on other costs.
Ramaswamy and Ohio House Republicans took to social media to tout the savings residents will see with the gas tax suspension, as well as savings in other areas.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
