Indiana Lawmakers Weigh in On Gas Tax Suspension

• Democrats argue Braun's actions are politically motivated, not focused on root causes.
• Republicans defend the gas tax suspension as a responsible fiscal measure to help Hoosiers.
• Debate centers on past policy decisions and their impact on rising gas prices.

INDIANAPOLIS–Some Indiana lawmakers are weighing in on Governor Mike Braun’s decision to suspend Indiana’s 7% sales tax on gasoline.

Democrat State Rep. Gregory Porter of Indianapolis said this is what Hoosiers need, but he also argues that the White House created this problem with is unfocused military campaign in Iran along with Indiana Republicans.

“Statehouse Republicans, including then-Rep. Braun voted to raise the gas tax in 2017. Now, Indiana consistenly ranks among the states with the highest total tax at the pump. That’s why House Democrats pushed for a suspension back in 2022,” said Porter on Wednesday.

Porter says he supports the suspension, but he says this is mostly political posturing by Braun.

“Braun touts’ affordability but continues to fly around in his taxpayer-funded helicopter. He wants to build the Mid-States Corridor, which costs $3 billion. He’s hit families hard with his reimbursement rate cuts to the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers. This is about making themselves seem like problem solvers without addressing the root cause,” said Porter.

State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) said Republicans are cleaning up a mess of their own making.

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“Hoosiers are fed up with unfocused foreign entanglements that cost American lives, inflate gas prices and drive up costs for working families. What we’re seeing is a last-minute reaction from an administration that wants credit for solving a crisis it helped create. That’s not the fiscal responsibility Hoosiers were promised,” said Hamilton.

Republican State Senator Liz Brown said she was happy to see Braun do this.

“Every state has a gas tax to ensure monies are available for the building and maintenance of roads. Here in Indiana we’ve lowered taxes in myriad other ways because the burden of the gas tax doesn’t fall on just Hoosiers. As the crossroads of America, drivers from Illinois and other states are helping to fund our roads when they fill up here. Hoosiers benefit from one of the lowest income tax rates in the nation. Our fiscal discipline and our reserves on hand give us the flexibility to suspend the state’s sales tax on gas and pass this affordability measure on to Hoosiers. Thank you, Gov. Braun, for taking this action!,” said Brown.

At the start of April, the Indiana gas use tax jumped from 15.3 cents per gallon to 17.2 cents per gallon. But the 7% usage tax on fuel is determined by a calculation that uses the average price of gasoline over a previous one-month period.