State governors around the country are looking for methods to help cash-strapped households, with inflation at levels not seen in four decades.
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, for example, is urging lawmakers to enact heftier rebate cheques instead of the $0.28 per gallon gas tax holiday advocated by some House Democrats.
"Walz's proposal calls for direct payments of $500 to adults who make less than $164,400 a year and $1,000 to couples who make less than $273,470," according to FOX 9 in the Twin Cities. The governor "has tripled the size of the checks since he first proposed them in January, and his administration now estimates the cost at $2 billion," the news outlet noted.
It is expected that relief would come at a considerably slower rate under a gas tax break. "The owner of a vehicle with a 15-gallon tank would need to fill up 119 times before saving $500," FOX 9 wrote. The governor did, however, declare that he would be willing to sign a gas tax holiday if the state's divided legislature authorized one.
Meanwhile, in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers are leading attempts to return some of the state's roughly $9 billion surplus to taxpayers in order to offset the recent increase in gas prices.
According to Sacramento's KCRA, legislators have suggested a $400 gas rebate for all state taxpayers, regardless of whether or not they own a car.
"We know too many Californians are struggling to make ends meet right now," Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) said. "We are here to offer help, we are here to deliver solutions."
The lawmakers added that the rebate doesn't just have to be used on gas, as it could also pay for other basic necessities like food and heating bills.
However, many Republicans believe that suspending the state's $0.51 gas tax would be a better option right now. While California finalizes its plans, Georgia has already approved tax refunds of $250. Governor Brian Kemp signed the modified 2022 budget earlier this week.
According to WGXA in Macon, Georgia, $1.6 billion will be distributed as individual tax refunds, a promise made by the governor in January.
"Details on tax refund distribution are not clear, though they'll only go to those who paid taxes in 2020 and 2021 and will likely be sent out in a direct deposit from the Department of Revenue," WGXA wrote.
