Ohio suspends gas tax, WV still ‘exploring’
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Early this week, Ohio suspended the state tax on gasoline and diesel in response to high prices at the pump.
The measure, which passed the state legislature and was signed by Gov. Mike Dewine, has led to prices falling about 40 cents over the last week, which nearly correlates with the amount of tax that was removed from the price per gallon.
State Rep. Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison, explained the measure, saying, “Why not offer people some savings at the pump? And quite frankly, that’s going to relate to our groceries and everything that we buy. Clothing – wherever you’re shopping, you have to truck those goods to get to the stores.”
Ohio’s gas tax pause will last 90 days. A budget surplus will be used to pay for it, as the funds from gas taxes to states go towards road maintenance.
President Donald Trump said this week, “We’re thinking about that,” in response to a question about suspending the federal gas tax.
It isn’t the first time he’s mentioned taking that course of action. In May 2026, he said, “I think it’s a great idea…Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in.”
But the federal tax has remained in place ever since.
That prompted states like Ohio to take action on their own as each gallon of gasoline includes both state and federal taxes.
Will West Virginia follow Ohio?
Closer to home, both Republican and Democratic members of the West Virginia Legislature have pressed for a similar gas tax suspension since May, when the price of gas last topped $4 per gallon.
“If Washington is discussing suspending the federal gas tax, West Virginia should already be leading the way at the state level,” Del. Chris Anders, R-Berkeley, said in May 2026.
Democrats agreed. “West Virginians are paying too much at the pump, and they need relief now,” said Delegate Mike Pushkin, Chair of the WV Democratic Party. “This is about putting money back into the pockets of working people right now, when they need it most.”
The state gas tax in West Virginia is 35.7 cents per gallon on gasoline and diesel. So if both the state and federal taxes were suspended, drivers could potentially see a 54.1 cent decrease on the price per gallon.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey commented on the proposal in May, “We’re going to look very closely, very seriously, at all these different proposals because I want to make sure we’re providing more money back into the pockets of hardworking West Virginians. When people are hurting, we need to return more money back to people’s pockets. You have to look seriously at all these issues because West Virginians are hurt and we have to make sure we’re responding to that.”
But since May, like on the federal level, the state has not taken action to pause the gas tax.
RealWV reached out to Morrisey’s office on Wednesday to ask if a consensus had been reached on how to proceed with putting “more money back into the pockets of hard working West Virginians” as it relates to the gas tax?
Lars Dalseide, Morrisey’s communications officer, replied, “We are closely reviewing options and exploring ways to put more money back into hard-working West Virginians’ pockets.”
RealWV asked for clarification on which options specifically were being explored, in light of Ohio’s actions, since Morrisey stated in May that he was also exploring options at that time?
Dalseide did not reply further.
Any pause of the state gas tax in West Virginia would require legislative approval, as was the case in Ohio. Del. Anders continues to be outspoken for a gas tax suspension.
‘Unfortunately, the governor has not moved yet’
“The Freedom caucus has been calling for this since last April,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the governor has not moved yet, but I feel it is vitally important to do so because the price of fuel oil has gone through the roof and West Virginians are filling up their furnaces for the winter.”
“To be frank, they just cannot afford $5 plus per gallon. We have the money in the Rainy Day Fund and I will tell you that the people are facing a very rainy day.”
Anders said he is unaware of any conversations between Morrisey’s office and the legislature about ways to provide relief at the gas pump to West Virginians.
RealWV then reached out to the office of House Speaker Roger Hanshaw for comment on the policy proposal in light of Ohio’s actions and his member’s public comments.
Hanshaw’s communications officer, Ann Ali, sent the following statement via email: “I have not been able to pass this request along to the Speaker, and the topic is not one I have heard him comment on recently, so I do not have any response to pass along on his behalf, but if that changes, I will be sure to get it to you.”
Hanshaw has spoken out against gas tax pauses in the past. In a joint statement with then-President of the Senate Craig Blair in 2022, they said, “Eliminating this tax for 30 days offers no guarantee that retailers would lower their prices by the same amount. In fact, lowered prices could increase demand, which would result in even higher prices.”
In Ohio after a week of pausing the state gas tax, prices have come down about 40 cents per gallon. The state tax in Ohio is 38.5 cents per gallon.
Stay tuned to RealWV for updates to this story.
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