GOP Lawmaker Files Bill To End Delta’s Tax Break On Fuel
One of the leading Republicans in the Georgia House, Rep. Earl Ehrhart of Powder Springs, has filed a bill to do away with the exemption Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has received on state fuel taxes since 2006.
At the time lawmakers passed the exemption for Delta, the carrier was trying to emerge from bankruptcy and facing rising fuel costs.
But Ehrhart argues the exemption was not initially intended to be permanent, and Delta recently reported a $2.8 billion profit for 2014.
HB 175 would disqualify Delta from receiving the fuel tax exemption; while extending it to other, smaller carriers based on how much they pay in taxes ─ which, in turn, is based on how much they make.
On the Feb. 3, 2015 edition of “A Closer Look,” WABE’s Denis O’Hayer spoke with Rep. Ehrhart and an unlikely ally on the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta).
Note: Delta Air Lines is considering WABE’s interview request. The carrier did send the following statement: “This misguided proposal for a tax increase on air travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport violates federal law and puts the state at risk of losing critical aviation funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. Delta is working with the state legislature to educate them on the risks of this proposed tax increase.”
Denis O'Hayer's interviews with Rep. Earl Ehrhart and Sen. Vincent Fort.
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