Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is again urging Gov. Greg Abbott to temporarily suspend the state’s 20-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and undyed diesel, saying the step would give Texas families and producers immediate relief from soaring fuel costs. The Texas Department of Agriculture announced the renewed call in a Sept. 16 news release.
The request lands on a pocketbook issue that reaches well beyond the farm gate. According to the release, diesel is not optional in Texas agriculture: it moves food from the farm to the grocery store and supplies every farm in the state, and when prices spike those costs ripple through the broader economy until Texans pay the bill.
“We don’t control the price of oil, but we control the taxes we put on it,” Miller said in the release. “Governor Abbott has the tools to act. There’s no excuse for sitting around and watching our farmers, ranchers, truckers, and families bleed money at the pump. Texas producers and Texas families can’t wait any longer.”
Miller framed fuel costs as an input that shows up in nearly every consumer price. “High diesel prices are a tax on everything,” he said. “They raise the cost of growing food, hauling freight, running a business, and putting groceries on the table. Every penny matters, and Texas shouldn’t be piling another 20 cents on top of the pain.”
A temporary suspension would deliver relief while signaling that state government stands with taxpayers and producers, Miller said in the release. He pointed to other states that have stepped in when drivers were squeezed at the pump, and said Texas should be doing the same. “Texas is the energy capital of America,” Miller said. “We ought to be leading the charge on fuel tax relief, not watching from the sidelines.”
The commissioner asked Abbott to work with state lawmakers to take whatever action is necessary to suspend the tax while fuel prices remain elevated. The release did not indicate any response from the governor’s office. “Texas is supposed to be the land of low taxes and limited government,” Miller said. “Here’s our chance to prove it. Cut the tax. Give Texans some breathing room. And do it now.”