COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers are expected to return to Columbus next week for a special session on whether to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax as pump prices approach $5 per gallon. The push follows calls from gubernatorial candidates Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy for a gas-tax holiday. Acton said Monday that a temporary suspension could provide relief for Ohio drivers without undermining the state’s infrastructure investments. Ramaswamy has proposed suspending Ohio’s 38.5-cent-per-gallon tax for 90 days while replacing the revenue needed for road and bridge repairs. He said that if lawmakers do not act this year, he would pursue the proposal after taking office on Jan. 11, 2027, and would consider calling a special session himself. Ramaswamy’s running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, and House Speaker Matt Huffman have agreed to call the special session. McColley said Tuesday that he and Huffman believe they can move the plan through the Legislature. The proposal is not guaranteed to take effect immediately. Any bill seeking immediate implementation would need an emergency clause, which requires a two-thirds majority in both the Ohio House and Senate. The timing has drawn questions inside and outside the Statehouse. Many legislators have been away from Columbus for much of the summer, and some were caught off guard by the plan. Gov. Mike DeWine said he learned of the proposal Monday evening. DeWine declined Tuesday to say whether he would sign or veto a gas-tax bill. He said the central issue would be how the state replaces the money needed for transportation projects. Ohio’s gas tax has already been the subject of debate this year as fuel costs rose amid the war in Iran. In May, DeWine rejected a Republican-backed proposal to suspend the tax, arguing that the state could not afford to lose transportation revenue. Democrats criticized the new special session as a political maneuver aimed at protecting Republican candidates in the 2026 election. State Sen. Bill DeMora, a Columbus Democrat, said cutting the tax would be short-sighted because Ohio’s roads and bridges already need significant investment. He also accused Ramaswamy of adopting a proposal first advanced by Acton. DeMora said the measure would not address the underlying cause of higher fuel prices and argued that ending the war in Iran would be a more direct way to reduce costs. The coming debate will therefore center on two competing demands: immediate relief for drivers facing steep fuel bills and preserving a dedicated source of funding for the transportation system. Lawmakers will have to decide whether the proposed replacement funding is sufficient before giving the measure the votes required for an immediate suspension.