For the past eight years, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts has made it clear he’s no fan of taxes.

But there is one tax he can apparently live with: the state’s gas tax.

Ricketts telling News Channel Nebraska, he opposes any so-called “gas tax holiday” even with the price of gas right around $5 a gallon in Nebraska.

Right now, the gas tax in Nebraska is 24.8 cents, per gallon.

Gov. Ricketts: At the end of the day, we still have to maintain highways here in Nebraska and so anything you forgo now you will have to make up down the road. 

NCN’s Joe Jordan: But wouldn't the gas tax holiday give some short-term, granted not long term, at least some short-term relief for some folks?

Gov. Ricketts: You're still going to have to pay it at some point to be able to maintain our roads. And one of the things we do know, talking to Nebraskans, they want to make sure we have well maintained highways across the state.

According to several published reports, five states have suspended their gas tax: Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, and New York.

NCN spoke with Ricketts earlier this week before he tested positive for COVID and isolated himself.