Hike in Gas Tax

Senator Tom Berryhill, a coauthor of Senate Bill 1079, calls for a to halt a proposed increase in gas and fuel taxes in 2015. The measure is being held in the Senate Rules Committee. Today an alternative effort brought the issue before the Senate, and it was rejected on a party line vote.

“It is estimated the price of gas will jump up somewhere between 16 cents and 76 cents a gallon, and no one up here seems to care. That’s crazy,” said Berryhill. “This is an absolute hit on your wallet, especially in rural areas where there is little choice but to drive. Unlike urban areas, in my district you pretty much have to get in your car to go to the grocery store, school, or any other areas. This tax hike will hurt.”

Beginning January 1, 2015, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will require companies selling transportation fuels in California to comply with the cap-and-trade program. Fuel prices for consumers are expected to jump from 16 cents to 76 cents a gallon as a result of this change. Senate Bill 1079, as well as the amendments offered today, would exempt transportation fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, and natural gas, from this program.

“Plain and simple, CARB is holding people hostage. For most of us gas isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. The legislature had the chance to tell CARB ‘enough’ but it didn’t,” concluded Berryhill. “Very disappointing.”