The state has tripled the tax on car owners.

State Republican Senator Tom McClintock says Finance Director Steve Peace confirmed that he pulled the trigger on the vehicle license fee today.

The move will cost the average car owner about $130 per year. State Democrats say the higher tax is needed because of California€™s dire fiscal condition.

McClintock has been a staunch opponent of the tax. He says he may file papers today launching a statewide initiative to eliminate the tax. He calls the increase illegal because it wasn€™t approved the legislature. The tax will take about 90 days to go into effect and will bring in an estimated $4 billion next year.