If It’s “Just a Study,” Why Kill the Voter Safeguard?
SACRAMENTO — Assembly Democrats are in full retreat after advancing a plan to study the impact of a new Mileage Tax that could charge Californians for every mile they drive, on top of the state’s 61-cent gas tax.
“If this was just a harmless study, Governor Newsom would not be out trying to clean up the mess,” said Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora (R-Ripon). “The Democrat supermajority got caught, and now they are trying too hard to cover it up.”
Assembly Republicans immediately raised the alarm, warning that the Democrat-led legislation was a step towards implementation of a mileage tax. Democratic lawmakers quickly took to social media in damage-control mode, insisting the measure was “just a study.”
As evidenced by the draw back, the facts tell a completely different story.
If there were no plans to move forward with a Mileage Tax, why did the Legislature reject ACA 14, a constitutional amendment that would have guaranteed voters the right to decide?
If there is no real threat of a mileage tax, why did Governor Gavin Newsom’s office publicly state he would not sign one?
With working families already struggling to afford basic costs, Assembly Republicans say the idea of adding a second driving tax on top of the gas tax shows just how out of touch Sacramento Democrats have become.
Leader Flora continued, “This is the Sacramento playbook. ‘Just a study’ today. A new tax tomorrow.”
“You don’t spend time and money studying a Mileage Tax unless you are thinking about passing one. As Leader, I will speak loudly against this and every tax proposal coming out of Sacramento to protect taxpayers’ pocketbooks.”
