California’s gasoline excise tax increased by just over 2 cents per gallon on Tuesday, bringing the state tax to 63.4 cents per gallon, according to reports. California continues to have the highest state gas tax in the nation. As of Tuesday, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the state was about $5.41, according to AAA.
“California motorists have the most pain at the pump, and taxes are just one source of that underlying pain,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, in early June. “Smaller gas tax changes may not necessarily be visible at the pump they’re implemented.”
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Governor Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., saw backlash for this rise in taxes from republican lawmakers. California’s GOP congressional delegation, led by Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., is urging Newsom to suspend the planned 2.2-cent-per-gallon hike, which would raise the state’s excise gas tax to 63.4 cents per gallon.
According to Fox News, the lawmakers say that figure doesn’t include the state’s sales tax and other local fees, bringing the total surcharge burden to about $1.15 per gallon at California pumps.
“According to AAA, the average price of gasoline in California is currently $5.58 per gallon—the highest in the nation and $1.65 above the national average,” the lawmakers wrote Friday in a letter sent to Newsom. “Instead of further unaffordable increases to California’s gasoline excise tax, we urge you to prioritize commonsense energy policies that will provide meaningful relief for all Californians.”
Newsom had argued a temporary gas tax holiday or repeal effort would jeopardize the state’s road repair programs. He also blamed President Donald Trump’s war against Iran for sending fuel prices higher. He dismissed the idea that suspension efforts would lead to lower prices at the pump.
“Repealing gas taxes wouldn’t lower prices at the pump — it would hand oil companies a massive tax break with no guarantee that a single cent would be passed on to drivers,” Newsom’s office wrote in a March press release.
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“It’s no surprise that a delegation of congressional Republicans would be opposed to following the law,” a spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital, noting the gas tax increase is required by existing law.
“It’s an automatic, annual mechanism enacted in 2017 and upheld by voters in 2018 — all before Governor Newsom was elected Governor of California,” the spokesperson added.
“Meanwhile, Trump’s reckless war on Iran — which has no congressional authorization — has now forced a growing $63 billion in extra fuel costs on Americans nationwide and gifted billions of dollars in unfrozen money to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”