Nikki Fried Slams DeSantis for no Gas Tax Relief, Which he Proposed in November

Published Mar. 9, 2022, 4:20 p.m. ET | Updated Jan. 2, 2023

March 9, 2022 Updated 4:15 P.M. ET

TALLAHASSEE (FCV) – Wednesday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner and candidate for Florida Governor Nikki Fried (D) said that “The Florida Legislature and Ron DeSantis could reduce the price of gas” by suspending the state gas taxes.

“But they aren’t. Remember that,” she continued.

She further directly went after Governor Ron DeSantis (D), saying that he should “Help Floridians” and that he “pretended to be for it when gas was a dollar cheaper.”

DeSantis already proposed gas tax relief on November 22, 2021.

Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ Press Secretary, told FCV that “The governor proposed this gas tax cut in November 2021. It’s part of his budget recommendation – freedom first budget. Now it is up to the legislature to bring it across the finish line,” she said.

“Nikki is late as always.”

Pushaw said that she is “glad Nikki is admitting that she expects our governor to clean up Biden’s mess, Biden is the reason gas is twice as expensive now compared to what it was the day he took office last year,” she continued.

In January 2021 – President Joe Biden’s (D) inauguration month – gas was an average of $2.27 per gallon in Florida. In February, it averaged $3.44 per gallon. Today, the price sits at $4.21.

“Gas prices have been rising due to inflationary pressures from bad federal policies, so we here in Florida need to step up and provide relief to our citizens,” he said in November.

“Today, I am proposing that during session, the Florida Legislature provide more than $1 billion in gas tax relief for Florida families. This will have a positive impact on millions of Floridians.”

The proposal was included in his Freedom First Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023, which begins on July 1, 2022.

The gas tax would save up to $200 per Floridian family.

According to a press release detailing DeSantis’ budget proposal, a “Fuel Tax Holiday” is included to “provide a reprieve from increasing gas prices and save Florida Families over $1 billion.” View the budget’s highlights here.

The Florida House of Representatives and Senate are still ironing out the coming fiscal year’s budget. As it stands, no “Fuel Tax Holiday” is included.

Fried’s criticism is confusingly directed mainly at DeSantis, whom she is running against in an election, rather than the legislature.

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