# GOP lawmakers criticize governor's gas tax cuts as irresponsible **Published:** 2026-06-02T20:59:10Z **Source:** Kentucky House Majority Caucus (press release, emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/gop-lawmakers-criticize-governor-s-gas-tax-cuts-as-irresponsible FRANKFORT, Ky. — [House Republican lawmakers](https://legislature.ky.gov/) said in a statement on Monday that [Gov. Andy Beshear's executive order reducing the state gas tax by 10 cents per gallon](https://www.klc.org/News/13280/governor-beshear-issues-executive-order-on-gas-prices) would endanger road funding while delivering minimal consumer savings, according to a [statement made during a transportation committee meeting](https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/kentucky-transportation-officials-worry-gas-tax-reduction-could-hinder-road-projects-andy-beshear/417-5be34d82-ebc2-462c-a35b-44083986ba19). "It's irresponsible," said House Transportation Chair John Blanton in the Kentucky House Majority Caucus statement. "It's gas tax grandstanding." Blanton said the executive order would save Kentuckians less than $6 per month while reducing Road Fund revenue by more than $45 million during the one-month reduction period. [The executive order, which took effect May 11 and is set to remain in effect for 30 days](https://www.klc.org/News/13280/governor-beshear-issues-executive-order-on-gas-prices), temporarily reduces Kentucky's 26.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax and [freezes an automatic 2-cent increase scheduled for July 1](https://kaco.org/articles/beshear-orders-cuts-to-gas-tax-what-it-means-for-counties/). [The governor's office said the temporary cut is expected to save Kentuckians approximately $27 million per month](https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/05/11/gas-price-relief), though [a driver traveling 15,000 miles yearly in a 25-mpg vehicle would save an estimated $5.30 per month](https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/saving-pennies-losing-pavement-transportation-leaders-warn-gas-tax). Blanton argued that the savings would not offset the costs drivers would incur from deteriorating road conditions. "While Kentuckians may save a few dollars at the pump, this will not compare to the potential costs in car maintenance and repairs they may face as road conditions decline," he said in the statement. [Kentucky's gas tax is the largest funding mechanism for the state's Road Fund](https://www.klc.org/News/13280/governor-beshear-issues-executive-order-on-gas-prices), and [road fund revenue is distributed through a formula that allocates 18.3% of the gas tax to counties for road construction and maintenance](https://kaco.org/articles/beshear-orders-cuts-to-gas-tax-what-it-means-for-counties/). Blanton also questioned whether the governor should have acted at all, noting that [high gas prices in 2022, when Joe Biden was president, did not prompt a state of emergency declaration](https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/kentucky-transportation-officials-worry-gas-tax-reduction-could-hinder-road-projects-andy-beshear/417-5be34d82-ebc2-462c-a35b-44083986ba19). The statement cited a study by TRIP, a national transportation research group, indicating that Kentuckians spend more than $1,500 yearly due to congestion and vehicle maintenance costs associated with poor road conditions. ## Sources - [Kentucky House Majority Caucus statement from June 2, 2026](https://legislature.ky.gov/) - [Gov. Beshear's Executive Order 2026-235 on gas prices](https://www.klc.org/News/13280/governor-beshear-issues-executive-order-on-gas-prices) - [WHAS11 coverage of transportation committee meeting](https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/kentucky-transportation-officials-worry-gas-tax-reduction-could-hinder-road-projects-andy-beshear/417-5be34d82-ebc2-462c-a35b-44083986ba19) - [Kentucky Association of Counties analysis of gas tax cuts](https://kaco.org/articles/beshear-orders-cuts-to-gas-tax-what-it-means-for-counties/) - [Spectrum News coverage of gas tax reduction implementation](https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/05/11/gas-price-relief) - [National Law Review analysis of Kentucky gas tax suspension impacts](https://natlawreview.com/press-releases/saving-pennies-losing-pavement-transportation-leaders-warn-gas-tax) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) from a press release emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news by Kentucky House Majority Caucus, enriched with 3 web searches.