{"id":199108,"date":"2026-03-20T12:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T12:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/199108\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T12:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T12:44:08","slug":"no-simple-fix-for-rising-gas-prices-tallahassee-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/199108\/","title":{"rendered":"No \u2018Simple Fix\u2019 For Rising Gas Prices \u2013 Tallahassee Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida<\/p>\n

With average gas prices in Florida approaching $4 a gallon, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday there is no \u201csimple fix\u201d the state could enact.<\/p>\n

Democrats in the state Legislature have asked the governor to temporarily lift the state\u2019s 23.5-cent per gallon tax on gas. However, while appearing at PIER 22 in Bradenton, DeSantis said he\u2019s concerned about the increase but that the solution is an issue for the federal government to address.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy answer is just get the cost down internationally, and that means having stable energy markets, making sure we\u2019re doing everything to get our stuff to market,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know that there\u2019s going to be any simple fix.\u201d<\/p>\n

An average gallon of gas in Florida on Thursday was $3.95, according to the auto club AAA. The price has leapt from $2.89 on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel began attacks targeting the\u00a0Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior leadership.<\/p>\n

The national average has gone from $2.98 to $3.88 in the same time.<\/p>\n

Averages were more than $4 a gallon in parts of South Florida and the Big Bend region, with the average price Thursday at $4.17 in Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys.<\/p>\n

Prior to the Iran conflict, Florida\u2019s average had wavered around $2.85 a gallon since the start of December.<\/p>\n

Last week, Democrats in the Legislature called for a temporary suspension of the state gas tax.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the last 60 days, we haven\u2019t done anything to address Florida\u2019s affordability crisis,\u201d Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton said in a release. \u201cWe\u2019re sitting on billions of dollars in reserves; the least we can do for Floridians during this time of economic crisis and war is provide relief at the gas pumps.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis noted that the Legislature will return in mid-April to address the budget, which will include a tax relief package. However, to address affordability issues desired by Floridians, DeSantis maintained support for putting before voters in November a constitutional amendment to lower property taxes.<\/p>\n

But DeSantis has pushed for gas tax relief before to address a surge in prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2022, after DeSantis proposed replacing the gas tax with federal COVID stimulus money for five months to cover the lost revenue, the Legislature agreed to lift the gas tax for the month of October as part of the tax package.<\/p>\n

Gas Buddy reported that global oil prices \u2014 trading at just under $100 a barrel midday Thursday \u2014 have remained highly reactive to new developments after the U.S. attacked Iran and targeted Kharg Island over the weekend. However, some ships have successfully transited the Strait, and for now, the market appears less concerned about a broader escalation of the conflict, Gas Buddy posted.<\/p>\n

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