Californians To Vote on Repealing Gas Tax Or Not

The November ballot proposition would kill the state’s new tax on gasoline and repeal vehicle fees.

SACRAMENTO, CA - June 27, 2018: NACS Online reported that on the November ballot, Californians will decide on whether to keep the state’s new gas tax and vehicle fees, the Los Angeles Times reports​.

Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers had pressed for the funding plan to repair the state’s bridges and roads. Last year, Brown signed a bill into law that would generate more than $5 billion each year via a higher fuel tax coupled with a new vehicle registration fee for transportation infrastructure repairs.

​T​he anti-gas-tax measure garnered nearly 600,000 signatures of registered voters to go before voters this fall. If approved, the ballot proposal would repeal the gas tax increases but would also amend the California Constitution to mandate voter approval for any future increases to the state’s gas tax.

With Brown leaving office next year, GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox applauded the ballot news. “This is a message to the millions of forgotten Californians ignored by the Sacramento political elite, help is on the way,” he said.

Many see Brown as gearing up to fight for his legacy, which includes keeping the new gas tax in place.

“If you say no, what? We are just going to go back to congestion, call a halt to this project, stop the projects for the Olympics?” Brown said recently. “That is really dumb and I don’t believe Californians are going to do that. That’s why we want to vote ‘no’ on any attempt to repeal and throw back this tax.”​