We know who to thank for high gas prices
M❚❚Californians need relief now, and relief from high gas prices would especially help lowincome families who feel the pain of rapidly escalating prices the most. The state can’t just mandate price cuts, but it could lower prices by suspending or eliminating its excise tax of 51.1 cents imposed on every gallon of gas.
emorial Day weekend is typically the beginning of the summer driving season and family vacations, but many drivers may rethink those plans as California has the highest gas prices in the nation.
One media outlet has reported that a Bay Area gas station is charging nearly $8 a gallon for supreme, while the average price is more than $6 for unleaded gas in California.
Pouring salt into the wound, the governor released the May Revise, and his updated budget proposal spends a whopping $97.5 billion budget surplus without providing any much-needed immediate relief at the pump for families.
A little perspective: California’s surplus is larger than the annual budgets of 13 states combined. By definition, a surplus means the public has been taxed more than needed. The surplus must be used responsibly, by putting the dollars toward infrastructure projects, paying down debt, stashing away savings and, most importantly, providing tax relief to Californians suffering from this state’s skyrocketing cost of living.
Families are feeling high prices at the pump more than ever. In January 2021, regular gas averaged $3.10 a gallon. Now gas is topping $6 — the highest in the nation — putting inflationary pressure across the economy. Filling up the family car to drive to work or drop off the kids at school has become something many have to balance against rent, food and medicine. Even driving my own Ford Edge, I’ve seen an increase — most recently paying $90 just to fill up.
Californians need relief now, and relief from high gas prices would especially help low-income families who feel the pain of rapidly escalating prices the most. The state can’t just mandate price cuts, but it could lower prices by suspending or eliminating its excise tax of 51.1 cents imposed on every gallon of gas. Then, it could use some of that massive budget surplus to backfill the reduced revenue and keep transportation projects on track. Win-win.
In fact, this is something Senate Republicans have been consistently urging the governor and Democratic leaders to do — provide Californians immediate relief from rising gas prices by suspending the state’s excise tax on gas and eliminating its automatic increase, which hikes up the price of gas every July. (Every July forever.)
We first called for a gas tax holiday in June 2021. We formally requested the governor and Democratic leaders suspend the state gas tax and waive the upcoming July increase. They failed to act.
In January 2022, when it was clear the state would have a large budget surplus, Senate Republicans released our priorities for how best to utilize those funds. High on the list was our request to give Californians a gas tax holiday. Democrats failed to act.
In March, Senate Republicans doubled down on gas price relief, formally requesting a gas tax holiday in the state budget and calling on budget committee chairs to take action immediately. Democrats agreed relief was needed, but failed to act on how and when to provide it. They still haven’t acted, by the way.
In May, Senate Bill 1156, my bill to repeal the annual increase of the state’s excise tax on gas, was heard in committee. It would have stopped prices at the pump from increasing in July, but Democrats killed the bill.
The governor knows there is a problem, noting recently that if any Democrat plans actually come together, nothing would happen until at least the fall. “My sense was, people may get a little cranky about that,” he said. “They may want a little quicker relief.”
So here we are. Democrats keep talking about relief, but it’s just that — talking. They’re doing nothing. Worse, they’re ignoring, even blocking, action by Republicans.
Keep this in mind when you stick that gas pump nozzle in your tank and cringe as the numbers spin round and round — Sacramento Democrats are failing you. They’re all talk and no action.