Gas tax reaches record high
House leaders ask Governor for special session to address issue
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Georgia's gasoline tax rose again last Sunday, July 1, as a 1.3 cent increase kicked in just days before the July 4th holiday. The jump brings the state total to a record high 18.6 cents. The previous high was 17.7 cents in July 2006.

Sunday's spike comes only one month after a 2 cents-pergallon increase took effect at the beginning of June. The increases are prompted by state laws that require changes based on the price of gas.

Governor Sonny Perdue's office has stated that he will continue to observe the situation to see if the state is reaping too much finanical gain from the tax.

However, House leaders, including Minority Leader DuBose Porter, are asking that Perdue call a Special Legislative Session to address the issue.

The Governor called such a session in 2005 in the wake of ballooning fuel prices following Hurricane Katrina. He received Legislative approval to temporarily suspended gas taxes at that time.

State Representative Charles Jenkins echoed the sentiments that Porter expressed to Perdue in a letter, when Porter told the Governor, "We are not doing our job as public servants if we allow this to continue unaddressed."

"As your District 8 Representative, I agree," Jenkins said. "I go on record stating that I strongly feel this is not a time for legislative power struggles for partisan games."

Rep. Jenkins said that he would like to see gas prices in Georgia fall more in line with states like Tennessee, which according to Jenkins, currently has lower gas prices than Georgia.

"I totally endorse the letter to the Governor," he added. "Right now, if Governor Sonny Perdue will call the Legislature into Special Session, I am confident we in the General Assembly will take immediate action by pulling together to stop gas taxes from going up any further."