California Democrats To Cut Gas Tax For 3rd Time, Raise Taxes Instead

The brutalist party HATES you.

They actually raised taxes on gas suppliers to use as rebates (Fox 40). From Republican Vince Fong: Sacramento Democrats gutted a common sense bill to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax to provide immediate relief & replaced it w/ a massive tax increase on energy producers. I wish I was making this up. What happened represents everything that is wrong w/ Sacramento (Twitter).

BREAKING: California lawmakers in the Assembly Transportation committee kill @KevinKileyCA gas tax holiday bill.

Dems turned it into a new vehicle fuel windfall profits tax on gas suppliers when price of gas is abnormally higher than price of oil.

The new version passes 8-4.

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) March 28, 2022

California Bill to Cut Gas Tax Fails 3rd Time

By Vanessa Serna, The Epoch Times, March 29, 2022:

SACRAMENTO—The effort to temporarily halt California’s 51-cent gas tax failed for a third time in a state assembly committee as lawmakers instead proposed changing the bill completely by adding a new tax on fuel suppliers to feed a rebate program for gas consumers.

Assembly Bill 1638 by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) was accepted to be heard on a last-minute basis by the state Transportation Committee on March 28, after being shut down by lawmakers on March 14 and March 24.

Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose) opposed Kiley’s bill while blaming the high gas tax on fossil fuel corporations—such as Chevron and Vallero—which he said pocketed billions in a record profit last year.

“I definitely sympathize and I understand how hard it is right now, and how hard it is at the pump,” he said. It’s not because we are paying for roads. It’s because there are corporations out there who are fracking the hell out of this planet.”

Lee further highlighted the funds from the gas tax that go towards fixing roads while claiming the surplus can not ensure these projects continue to proceed if the gas tax is suspended.

“If we are to find ourselves in [an] economic deficit, the money that goes directly to constituents and roadways and transportation can evaporate,” he said.

Rather than simply voting on AB 1638, Lee decided to strike out all current contents of the bill and fill in multiple amendments, including taxing fuel suppliers more to offset their “windfall profit” and turning that tax revenue into gas rebates for consumers.

At this point, it is still unclear whether Lee’s “vehicle fuel windfall profit tax” would affect the gas prices at the pump for consumers and how the proposed rebate program would look.

While Lee urged for his amendments to be made, he refused to add his name as an author to the bill.

Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) opposed Lee’s amendments, questioning the motion that would raise taxes on residents rather than providing relief.

“A bill to temporarily suspend the state’s tax for six months [and] provide immediate relief to Californians is being hijacked … to raise taxes even more,” Fong said.

Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach) echoed her disappointment in Lee’s decision to drastically attempt to amend the bill rather than simply vote no.

“Why are we just being silent and prolonging this pain for all these families?” Nguyen forcefully questioned. “Putting more taxes on Californians is the wrong thing to do.”

Pamela Geller Geller Report https://gellerreport.com/