Assemblyman Kevin Kiley has introduced a bill to suspend the California gas tax for six months, which Recall Gavin 2020 organizer Mike Netter believes is a better idea than Gov. Newsom’s plan.
“The increase is about a penny, when suspending the entire gas tax is about 15 to 18 cents a gallon," said Netter. "Newsom is only suspending the increase, which is no more than a penny and a half. Suspending the entire gas tax is a lot more money to the people of California.”
Gov. Newsom proposed temporarily halting the incremental gas tax expansion, which is mandated for inflation since 2017 under Senate Bill 1, according to media reports.
“It’s a $523 million dollar gas tax holiday of sorts,” Newsom said at a Jan. 10 press conference.
However, Newsom did not state the length of time the gas tax increase would be suspended.
“Delay versus suspending are two different things because delaying it simply means Gov. Newsom will make up the money later and since the gas tax is fixed on price per gallon and gas costs so much in California, Newsom should have probably done this two years ago,” Netter told the Southern California Record. “When you suspend something, it doesn't accrue. Does Newsom plan on deferring it and making up the money later?”
Kiley's Assemby Bill (AB) 1638, on the other hand, would suspend the gax tax fully for six months and not just the gas tax increase, which would save Californians a minimum of 50 cents per gallon at the pump, according to Kiley’s estimates.
“The Governor's ‘gas tax holiday’ is hardly worth celebrating,” Kiley tweeted on Twitter on Jan. 12. “He's merely holding off on yet another increase. My bill would suspend the gas tax entirely.”
Kiley is campaigning for Congress.
The price per gallon of gas is $4.637 statewide, according to AAA estimates.
"With what Kiley's proposing, we will see an immediate impact in reduction in the price of gas," Netter added. "The reality is our roads aren't fixed and Newsom has been diverting. The gas taxes that are supposed to go to the roads are going to the bullet train instead. It's a political play. Newsom only suspends things that he thinks will help him for political office. I agree with Kiley that he should suspend not defer it."