DeSantis Rejects Florida Gas Tax Pause Amid $4/Gallon Spike

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared no plans to suspend Florida's roughly 25 cents per gallon state and local gas taxes, despite Democratic lawmakers' push last week amid Middle East conflicts driving fuel prices to $4 a gallon. Speaking at a bill signing in Bradenton on Thursday, DeSantis questioned the move's impact, noting past suspensions like one in 2022 failed to deliver noticeable relief to consumers as oil prices often rose to offset savings.

Florida Democrats, including Miami Sen. Shevrin Jones, urged action in letters to DeSantis, calling for a suspension to ease burdens on residents from Miami to the Panhandle. Jones highlighted the 'rare and consequential inflection point' with high prices hitting commuters hard, while Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Marci Woodward wrote April 7 requesting state law changes to let counties pause their ninth-cent and local option fuel taxes for up to 60 days during spikes.

DeSantis tied his skepticism to broader turmoil, warning of a potential Cuban 'exodus' amid global instability under President Donald Trump's foreign policy, including Iran tensions. With legislators set to reconvene in Tallahassee mid-April after failing to pass a budget, any gas tax holiday could resurface, though the governor stressed states' limited sway over volatile oil markets.

The rejection revives debate over a 2022 holiday DeSantis backed during his reelection, when prices similarly soared. Critics argue Florida's tourism economy benefits from non-residents paying the tax, and stations might pocket savings rather than pass them on.