530-993-4379
Sierra Booster
  • Home
  • Newspaper
    • Latest News
    • Letters to the Editor >
      • Submit Letter to Editor
    • Old News Archive
    • Photo Tour
    • Events
    • About Us
    • SUBSCRIBE
  • Advertiser Directory
    • Advertiser Press Releases
    • Website Sponsors
    • Advertiser Area
  • Buy Ads - Services
  • Fishing Report
  • Contact Us
  • Admin Log In

Senate Republicans Double Down on Efforts to Provide Relief for California Drivers NOW

3/14/2022

0 Comments

 

SACRAMENTO – With rapidly soaring gas prices and a historic budget surplus, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) and all members of the California State Senate Republican Caucus have doubled down on their efforts to provide financial relief for California drivers.
 
Today, Senate Republicans delivered a letter to Governor Newsom and legislative leaders calling for action NOW to reduce gas prices. The caucus is once again urging Governor Newsom to be bold and issue a full moratorium on the gasoline-excise tax, which would immediately reduce the cost of gasoline by 51.1 cents per gallon. Click here to download the letter.
March 14, 2022
 
The Honorable Gavin Newsom                                                         
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
 
RE: Request for a Full Gas Tax Holiday
 
Dear Governor Newsom
 
In the past several weeks, the average price of gasoline in California has jumped to record high levels as a result of rising inflation, and the growing conflict in the Ukraine. While it is nothing new for Californians to pay the highest gas prices in the nation, coming on the heels of the pandemic, working families simply cannot continue to support the level of taxation imposed by the Legislature. You are well aware of the adverse impacts of high gas prices and taxes that disproportionately impact our low- to middle-income residents, increase the cost of living, business costs and food prices, hampering our relief efforts and economic recovery. After all, it was just these considerations that led you to propose a limited gas tax holiday earlier this year and to announce a yet to be described rebate program during your State of the State speech.
 
Californians currently pay $1.27 more per gallon of gasoline compared to the national average. They pay 51.1 cents per gallon (cpg) of gasoline excise taxes, which absent your proposal to curb the inflation adjustment for a year, will rise to 54.1 cpg on July 1. At a time when the state budget is enjoying historic surpluses, we need to take bold action to help everyday Californians. Your proposal to postpone increases for a year is a small step in the right direction, but falls far short of protecting California working families and the economy from the devastating impacts likely to result from an extended conflict in Eastern Europe that disrupts oil supplies.
 
We can afford to think and act much bigger. A full moratorium on the gasoline-excise tax would immediately reduce the cost of gasoline by 54.1 cpg. The resulting revenue loss to the state of $8.1 billion is less than a fifth of the administration’s own forecast in January of a $45.7 billion budget surplus. The Legislative Analyst’s Office February update states that there is a good possibility of the surplus exceeding the initial estimate by $6 billion to $23 billion. This tax cut would spur the economy, just when we need it most and would represent much needed relief for working families struggling through the pandemic and those transitioning back from remote work. It would dramatically reduce the cost of living by driving down retail prices, and help control inflationary impacts on the economy that are driven by, among other things, the cost of gasoline. All this still possible without putting infrastructure projects at-risk if those funds are instead backfilled through the state budget.
 
For years, Democratic legislative leadership has refused to take a responsible approach to prioritizing infrastructure investments and have instead used general fund revenues that should be invested in infrastructure as a source of funding for other pet projects, while demanding ever-increasing taxes from motorists. It is past time for Sacramento to begin investing in real priorities, and using record budget surpluses to give Californians working families a break from California’s high cost of living and that includes the state’s high taxes and gas prices
 
We appreciate your statements about your openness to working with legislative leadership to help Californians struggling with high gas prices, which is why we are renewing our call from last year. For these reasons, we undersigned members of the California Senate Republican Caucus, call upon you to work with us to establish a full gas tax holiday for Californians and look forward to working with you on additional relief. Should you or your staff have any questions, you can reach me directly on my cell, or call my office at (916) 651-4021.
 
Sincerely,
                                                          
Senator Scott Wilk – 21st Senate District                                                      
Senator Brian Dahle – 1st Senate District                                           
Senator Jim Nielsen – 4th Senate District
Senator Andreas Borgeas – 8th Senate District                                               
Senator Shannon Grove – 16th Senate District                                     
Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh – 23rd Senate District
Senator Melissa Melendez – 28th Senate District                                         
Senator Patricia Bates – 36th Senate District                                      
Senator Brian Jones – 38th Senate District
 
CC:     Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins  
           Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon  
           Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee Chair Nancy Skinner
           Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting
###
Senator Wilk represents the 21st Senate District, which includes the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Victor valleys. Learn more about Scott by visiting his website and be sure to connect with him on social media.

For press inquiries or questions, please contact Jacqui Nguyen, press secretary for the Senate Republican Caucus, at 858.999.7706.
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    September 2009

    Categories

    All
    2015
    Sierra County News

    RSS Feed

    Vie
    ​w Old News

CONTACT US:

Sierra Booster Newspaper
PO Box 8
Loyalton, CA 96118
Phone: 530-993-4379
Fax: 844-272-8583
Email: jbuck@psln.com

Website Privacy Policy​
Picture
Local Weather
©Copyright Sierra Booster - Sierra County News - Editorial
Website by Chamber Nation