Gov. Beshear understands that Kentucky families are impacted by record gas prices and higher costs of consumer goods, and he is working to provide relief. Here are some of the steps the Governor has taken to help families save.
- Issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency and activating the state's price gouging laws to protect families from grossly overpriced gasoline and motor fuels.
- Issued an executive order to freeze vehicle taxes for two years at the January 2021 assessed value due to the pandemic-related rise in used car values, saving Kentuckians approximately $340 million in property tax reductions.
- Stopped a 2-cents-per-gallon hike in the state's gas tax that would have taken effect on July 1 and that would have resulted in a price hike on both regular and diesel fuel.
- Issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency over the baby formula shortage that has impacted the nation and the commonwealth.
The Governor also supported legislation to cut the state sales tax from 6% to 5% temporarily, which would have saved Kentuckians $873 million in relief directly related to sales tax savings if the General Assembly had passed the measure.
He joined other Governors to send a letter to Congressional leadership asking them to pass federal legislation to suspend the federal gas tax until the end of the year. And he recently sent letters to the top administrators at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requesting they grant a waiver removing a requirement that more costly, “reformulated" fuel be sold in many urban areas and asking for a waiver that would allow cheaper butane to be used as an additive blend for gasoline.