As described in an Ohio Capital Journal analysis published Oct. 5, 2026, the Ohio House and Senate approved a 90-day suspension of the state gas tax, with the lost revenue to be backfilled from the General Revenue Fund. Two-thirds majorities in each chamber meant the bill took effect immediately, and the governor signed it the next day, identified in the piece as Thursday.
The Legislative Service Commission put the cost at about $700 million, while the legislation sets aside $725 million in general revenue to cover the shortfall. The piece reports that most Ohio economists polled doubted a suspension would deliver meaningful household relief, and frames the vote as evidence lawmakers will spend at that scale.
The remainder is the author's argument. It says a suspension helps only drivers even though fuel costs push prices up broadly, and that 370,000 Ohio households without cars are excluded. Alternatives raised include a flat rebate of roughly $150 per household, a bottom-quintile rebate of about $760, a previously offered $450 million child tax credit worth up to $1,000 per household, and temporary funding for county job and family services offices and transit agencies such as COTA.
The piece also cites a $3.96 national average for regular gasoline from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and attributes this year's increases to the war in Iran. None of the alternatives are described as adopted.