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Florida lawmakers opt to offer tax 'holidays', but not gas-tax break proposed by DeSantis

By Jim Turner
Published  February 23, 2022 12:54pm EST
Florida
The News Service of Florida

Gas prices still rising across Florida

Expect gas prices to skyrocket even more if Russia invades Ukraine. Just last week, prices reached an 8-year high in Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida House panel moved to take up a package that would provide a wide range of tax breaks -- but did not include Gov. Ron DeSantis’ big-ticket proposal to suspend the state’s gasoline tax for five months.

The House Ways & Means Committee chose to consider a bill (PCB WMC 22-01) that includes 14-day sales tax "holidays" in May on gear for the hurricane season and in late July on back-to-school items such as clothes, school supplies and personal computers.

The bill also would bring back a "Freedom Week" tax holiday around Independence Day. During that period, shoppers could avoid paying sales taxes on tickets to music events, sporting events, movies, theaters, parks, fairs and museums, purchases of items for camping, fishing and boating and purchases of surfboards, canoes, kayaks and bicycles.

A new tax holiday would go for seven days around Labor Day for purchases of items including work boots, power tools, toolboxes for vehicles and LED flashlights.

PREVIOUS: DeSantis pitches billion-dollar plan for gas tax relief

With the state’s coffers brimming from federal stimulus money and higher-than-expected tax collections, the House and Senate ultimately will have to agree on a final package of tax cuts. But both chambers, at least so far, have not embraced DeSantis’ proposal to suspend the 25-cent-a-gallon gas tax for five months starting in July.

Previous coverage: How the governor's gas-tax plan would work

Governor Ron DeSantis announced in November that he would push the legislature to cut $1 billion out of Florida’s gas tax.

DeSantis said his office was "working with the Legislature" on the gas-tax proposal, which has an estimated cost of $1 billion. Legislative leaders expressed concerns the gas-tax break would go to too many non-Floridians who visit the state.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson questioned the gas-tax proposal because they said many of the motorists who would benefit from the 25-cent-a-gallon discount wouldn’t be from Florida.

"I just think we want to make sure that we target the ones that are appropriate for our citizens," Simpson said.

RELATED: Democratic lawmakers want to suspend federal gas tax to combat rising prices

DeSantis has called for suspending the state gas tax for five months, starting July 1, a move that could save motorists about $1 billion. He would use federal stimulus money to make up the lost gas-tax revenue, which ordinarily goes to transportation projects.

"I want to provide people relief in any way we can," DeSantis had previously said. "I think the most direct way we can provide people relief is a gas-tax holiday, so that they're saving at the pump."