Key keywords: Gretchen Whitmer executive order, Michigan gas price relief, 2024 Michigan fuel tax suspension, Michigan driver cost savings, rising U.S. summer gas prices, Michigan transportation infrastructure funding, low-income household fuel assistance, Michigan state fiscal surplus As national average gasoline prices have climbed 18 cents per gallon over the past 30 days, hitting a seasonal high of $3.68 per gallon ahead of the peak summer travel season, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at delivering immediate cost relief to the state’s 7.2 million licensed drivers. The order implements a six-month suspension of Michigan’s 27.2-cent per gallon state fuel tax, effective July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, alongside a freeze on planned increases to electric vehicle registration fees and a one-time $100 fuel assistance credit for 230,000 low-income households that rely on personal vehicles for work or medical travel. Administration estimates indicate the fuel tax suspension alone will save the average Michigan driver roughly $275 over the six-month period, with frequent commuters, commercial truck operators, and families planning summer road trips seeing even larger savings. For small business owners who operate delivery fleets or service vehicles, the tax break is projected to cut annual operating costs by 3% to 5% for many local operators. Whitmer emphasized that the $850 million cost of the relief package will be covered by the state’s $7.2 billion fiscal surplus, with no cuts to ongoing road and bridge repair projects across Michigan. “For years, we’ve built up our state’s rainy day fund and delivered balanced budgets that put Michigan’s fiscal house in order, and today we’re using that stability to give hardworking people a break when they need it most,” Whitmer said during a press briefing in Detroit. The order has faced pushback from some Republican state legislators, who argue that the temporary tax suspension is an election-year gimmick that will create a funding gap for transportation projects once the six-month window ends. House Minority Leader Matt Hall noted in a statement that the state’s fuel tax is dedicated explicitly to infrastructure maintenance, and diverting surplus funds to cover the gap pulls resources away from other priorities including public education and affordable housing. As of Wednesday, the executive order does not require legislative approval to take effect, though state lawmakers are expected to introduce companion legislation next month to extend the fuel tax suspension through the end of 2025 if prices remain elevated.