An attempt to revive legislation that would help California families against record-high gas prices failed Monday after state Senate Democrats declined to reconsider the measure.
The bill, authored by Sen. Tony Strickland (R), was pitched as an emergency plan to slash burdensome gas taxes and save Golden State drivers more than $1 per gallon. It would have saved a family $1,100 annually at the pump, Strickland said.
Strickland attempted to bring the titled Gas Tax Relief Act on to the Senate floor after it failed to gain enough votes in March during a committee hearing. Democrats voted down the motion.
“At a time when affordability is the top concern for families, Senate Democrats said hell no to much-needed financial relief. This was a missed opportunity to take action,” Strickland said in a statement.
“Other states are either offering temporary gas tax holidays or seriously considering proposals to help drivers,” he added. “Here in California, despite all the talk about fighting for affordability and California being a leader on policy, Sacramento Democrats are falling in line with Governor Newsom and refusing even to discuss relief at the pump.”
Some gas experts have told lawmakers that suspending the state’s higher-than-average gas taxes would provide some immediate relief for Californians, who currently are financially crunched under $6.15-per-gallon prices.
“There’s no question it would help consumers,” said Severin Borenstein, an economist and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, on a gas tax holiday.
Newsom and his supporters have repeatedly denied that cutting gas taxes would work. As recently as this month, the governor pointed the blame of high gas prices instead on President Donald Trump (R), whose war on Iran has constrained the global oil supply.
Newsom’s office had referred The California Post to past remarks he made, where the governor pointed out that a gas tax was suspended in Florida before.
“None of it was passed on. It was pocketed by Big Oil,” Newsom claimed.
“A lot of these things, the consequences, the unintended consequences are self-evident to anyone that’s been an expert in this,” he went on. He claimed the state’s gas tax leads to better roads, better jobs and better infrastructure.
States like Georgia and Indiana have passed gas tax relief, while even some Democrats, such as San Jose mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan, have supported the idea.
“This is unbelievable. You can’t make this stuff up,” Strickland said on Democratic inaction.
