LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Some relief is coming for Kentucky drivers.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday he is freezing the gas tax and preventing a future price hike.

The current gas tax is about 26 cents per gallon. Without the freeze, it would have risen to 27 cents in July.

Officials said the freeze is projected to save Kentuckians about $1.7 million combined per month.

“The American people are paying the costs of the war, and families are struggling at the gas pump, grocery stores and more – including right here in Kentucky,” Beshear said in a news release. “I recognize the pain our families are feeling and I’m taking steps to help because it’s the right thing to do.”

Beshear also declared a state of emergency related to gas prices. The executive order would reduce the gas tax by 10 cents per gallon.

It will take effect Monday, May 11, for both regular and diesel gas.

The order still needs to be approved by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman. Coleman said in a statement that he will sign and publish the executive order before May 11, when it takes effect.

The state’s price gouging statute will be activated as well.

Beshear also signed an executive order to freeze the 2026 motor vehicle assessment rate ahead of an expected increase at the beginning of 2027.

This comes weeks ahead of an expected price decrease in Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties.

Beshear requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove the Louisville area from the federal Reformulated Gasoline Program. It was approved in February.

Kentuckians living in those counties have been paying 10 to 25 cents more per gallon. The change will take place on May 27, 2026.

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Future Use of Energy in Louisiana is doubling down on early-stage energy innovation, awarding nearly $1.2 million to six startups in its second round of proof-of-concept funding.

The grants are designed to help companies bridge the gap between research and commercialization, often one of the toughest hurdles in scaling new technology. The awardees must complete their project within a year of receiving their award. 

The latest recipients span a range of emerging sectors critical to Louisiana’s energy future, including carbon utilization, LNG infrastructure, carbon capture, waste-to-value systems and green hydrogen. Projects include a carbon dioxide-based chemical production process, a cryogenic valve for extreme conditions and a biomass gasification system aimed at hydrogen production.

“These startups aren’t just advancing energy innovation—they’re helping build a stronger Louisiana,” said Stephen Loys, director of technology commercialization for FUEL. “We’re excited to support them as they turn their ideas into market-ready solutions.”

Here’s a full list of startups and their projects:

• Renovigo Chemicals: Utilizing carbon dioxide in the production of propylene and acrylonitrile
• Westfield Fluid Controls, Inc.: The Cryogenic Cam Butterfly Valve: A specialized fluid control device
• Eray Geophysical: Diffraction seismic software for subsurface fracture detection in carbon capture and storage
• EcoGlobe: Turning waste into value
• NovaSpark Energy: Gridless on-demand power for reliable energy always
• Waste to Energy Systems LLC: Biomass gasification system for green hydrogen production

Backed by the National Science Foundation and Louisiana Economic Development, the program is part of a broader push to position the state as a hub for next-generation energy technologies while accelerating startup growth and private investment.

Read the full announcement. 

Maryland lawmakers have penned a delegation letter to Apple, asking the tech giant to ask if there were any other paths forward other than closing Apple Towson.

Apple’s battle with its Towson location continues, with Maryland lawmakers stepping in to “express serious concern” over Apple’s choice to close the store. On May 4, lawmakers penned a congressional delegation to Apple, which reads:

“We urge Apple to reconsider whether there are viable paths forward that would preserve jobs and maintain a retail presence in the region,” said the signing members in a letter to Apple.

“Maryland residents value employers who invest in their workforce and demonstrate a sustained commitment to the communities they serve,” the lawmakers said. “We stand ready to engage constructively with Apple to better understand this decision and to explore potential solutions.”

Lawmakers are asking Apple to explain the factors that led to the closure and what research it did on how the closure would affect the employees. It also wants to know what Apple plans to do to help employees who will soon lose their jobs.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union, along with Towson employees, has thanked lawmakers standing with workers.

What led to the charge in the first place

Apple recently announced that it would be closing three of its stores, Apple Trumbull, Apple North County, and Apple Towson. The Towson location was Apple’s first unionized store.

For its part, Apple cited declining conditions and the loss of retailers as the primary reasons for closing. But Towson employees, as well as the IAM Union, don’t think that’s the whole story.

That’s why in late April, IAM filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against Apple. The union has suggested that the closure was retaliatory in nature.

However, the charge isn’t centered around the closing, but rather what happens next.

It claims that Apple unlawfully discriminated against unionized workers, denying them the same job placement rights that the non-unionized stores would receive. Trumbull and North County employees had the option to transfer to other locations.

Towson employees, on the other hand, were invited to apply for open roles at other stores, the same as any other non-employee seeking employment.

Apple would later go on to say that Towson’s union accepted specific rules for rehire under closure. If Apple were to open a new store within 50 miles, Towson would have right of refusal. Otherwise, Apple claims, the employees are to get severance pay only.

Apple’s history with Towson

While it’s not likely that Apple closed the store solely because of the union, it doesn’t mean that Apple didn’t reap the benefits, either. Apple hasn’t hidden the fact that it wants workers to avoid unionization.

The company had went out of its way to ensure that unionized stores didn’t receive benefits it conveniently rolled out while it stalled contract negotiations. Apple’s own retail chief Deirdre O’Brien had released a video directly telling employees that unionization was a net negative, and encouraged workers to seek in-house solutions.