California gas tax repeal ballot initiative clears first major hurdle
Taxation restrictions and “Sanctuary State” ballot measures now being promoted.
California’s citizens are busy collecting signatures and submitting ballot proposals so that they can change the laws created by the Democratic Party-dominated state legislature.
Groups had been hard at work to repeal the onerous gas tax that has been in place since last November. They managed to collect enough signatures, which will mean the proposition to repeal will be on the ballot in time for the state’s gubernatorial election this November.
The approval of SB1 by lawmakers last year led to a 12-cent and 20-cent hike on regular and diesel fuel, respectively, and increased vehicle registration fees $25 to $175.
Needing only around 584,000 signatures, the grassroots effort collected nearly 900,000, according to Carl DeMaio, the frontman of the repeal effort.
Some might say the initiative was fueled by outrage overspending in Sacramento and mistrust over what’s been done with the previous gas tax hikes.
The tax and added fees equate to billions of dollars in state revenue that will go towards fixing aging highways, bridges, roads and other transit
…DeMaio, who is also a conservative radio host and former San Diego City Council member, wants state lawmakers to use the gas taxes already in place, taxes which he claims have been diverted to other areas.
DeMaio said that according to the latest audit by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, just 20 percent of existing gas tax revenue goes into road projects.
The gas tax has inspired another ballot measure proposal, which is also backed by soda companies.
The proposal, which is currently gathering signatures for the November ballot, would increase the threshold for passing any new tax or tax hike to two-thirds of voters or an elected body — a change that supporters say is necessary after several recent court decisions weakened previous voter-approved initiatives to protect taxpayers. It would also require the money from those taxes to be spent on specific purposes.
Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other beverage companies have already contributed millions of dollars to the effort, as they face a wave of public health-driven soda taxes in cities across the country that appear to be hobbling sales. Increasingly subjected to new taxes by local politicians trying to close municipal budget deficits, more major industries, including oil, are prepared to jump in.
More and more cities are joining the federal lawsuit against California’s “Sanctuary State” rules that prohibit local law enforcement agencies from aiding Immigration and Customs agents by detaining criminals for later deportation. The parents of two young people killed by immigrants are leading an effort to repeal this policy (SB54).
The initiative, which likely would not appear on the ballot until 2020, goes a step further to require state and local law enforcement to notify federal authorities when they have an undocumented immigrant in custody.
The measure would also impose criminal penalties and fines on government officials who obstruct federal immigration enforcement, prohibit the Department of Motor Vehicles from issuing licenses for undocumented immigrants and require voters to provide proof of citizenship to register.
If the scale of signature collection for the gas tax repeal is any indication, the touted “Blue Wave” may be awfully red . . . even in California.
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Comments
I find this whole referendum system exasperating. The people of California pass ’em, and the legislature ignores ’em.
Ignore them? I thought they found friendly judges to just invalidate them as “unconstitutional”.
— And the same voters keep re-electing them!
You mean the same “dead” and “illegal alien” voters keep re-electing them don’t you?
… and the public parasite unions.
Start taking legislator’s scalps.
“Some might say the initiative was fueled by outrage…”
Ouch.
This is not just for the people to get what we want. It’s a way for the Democrats to work around the legislature.
I can see that, sort of… though the Democrats don’t really need to go around legislation much to get their way in that State.
It’s hard to feel sorry for Californians in general, they keep elected these leftist politicians, so when they do as they always do, which is spend the state into oblivion and tax the crap out of people. Of course there are areas where they don’t have a real voice at the political table (Central, Western, Northern, Southern Tier NY feel your pain), it is part and parcel of the state.
I see things like this and it just makes me shake my head, the majority of Californians have no problem apparently with the leftist programs and spending, and like typical leftists, they don’t want to pay for it. Social programs are great!!!, just don’t make me pay for it. Gotcha. And they wish to export the same stuff across the Country because they are so enlightened.
It’s too bad that NY and California have more people moving out than in, trouble is their transplants go to Red States and screw them up, while never seeing the hypocrisy in moving out of a leftist enclave yet wanting to change it into the same thing they left because the costs become unbearable.
speaking of getting rid of bad laws here in #Failifornia, this suit was filed Thursday:
https://mailchi.mp/e190d977432f/nra-crpa-attorneys-file-lawsuit-challenging-ca-ammo-restrictions?e=4c0f2098df
The courts in California will simply declare that the peasants have no standing to oppose the will of the aristocracy and they must be punished for it. It is the California way.
The demorrhoids have a choke hold on every lever of government, including the courts.
The tipping point is long past; the California death spiral cannot be stopped.
http://www.api.org/~/media/Files/Statistics/Gasoline-Tax-Map.pdf
PA is still ahead of California
So what’s the problem. Californians continue to elect those who live by the idea that people work and the government decides how much of this money the person is allowed to keep. After all, these elected leaders truly believe it is the government’s money being made by the worker, that they decide how much money the worker is allowed to keep, and these ungrateful workers should be so very happy that the state allows them to keep so much of the government’s money (sarc).
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In all seriousness, they are barking up the wrong tree. They should be looking to elect leaders who share their views and will not continually screw with the public. Until this happens, rear guard actions such as this one to limit tax packages that have already been passed will never stop for abusive policies will continue to be promulgated by their elected leaders.
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I am sorry, but they did elect those people who enacted these tax policies and they continue to elect those who will continue this theme. Change the leaders and fix the cause. This is where the emphasis should be.
The courts declared the passed initiative to end benefits for illegal aliens “unconstitutional,” and the one not to legalize same-sex “marriage” “unconstitutional.”
The courts have created our most intractable problems and are proud of it.
Someone PLEASE make them take in Kate Steinle’s killer and Jamiel Shaw, Jr.’s killer.
The government stole the money to repair roads and bridges in order to fund their slow train to nowhere boondoggle. They promised to return the money, but raised taxes instead.