A new AAA survey shows summer travel demand remains steady across Georgia, even as higher gas prices and inflation continue to influence how families plan their trips.
High gasoline prices are continuing to put financial pressure on thousands of Chattooga County residents who travel outside the county each day for work.
Gas prices across Georgia remain elevated, continuing to strain household budgets as drivers face rising costs in multiple areas of daily life.
As temperatures begin to climb across Northwest Georgia, many residents are bracing for another season of high Georgia Power bills — and for some families, the financial strain is already being felt.
Drivers in Chattooga County and across Northwest Georgia are seeing a little relief at the pump this week, but fuel prices remain under pressure as global oil markets react to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
As fuel prices continue to rise amid fighting in Iran, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says he is not ready to suspend the state gas tax just yet.
Kemp told reporters Tuesday that previous gas tax suspensions were “targeted and strategic,” and he does not want to overreact to what could end up being a short-term spike in prices.
The latest jump in fuel costs follows military strikes in Iran on February 28 involving U.S. and Israeli forces, which pushed oil prices sharply higher.
Kemp noted that oil briefly climbed to around $115 a barrel before falling back to about $90 a barrel. He also said the United States is producing record levels of oil and gas, which he believes provides strong long-term energy security even while prices remain vulnerable to global events.
The governor said he plans to keep watching the markets for several more days before making any decision on whether to suspend the gas tax.
Kemp has taken that step three times before. In 2022, he suspended the gas tax as prices climbed during the war in Ukraine. In 2023, he again suspended the tax as inflation hit a 40-year high. In 2024, Kemp suspended the gas tax in response to Hurricane Helene.
For now, Georgia drivers will have to wait and see whether the recent rise in gas prices becomes severe enough to prompt another temporary tax break.












