Lawmakers push relief as Los Angeles gas tops $5.50, with some warning prices could climb to $7 per gallon
By Samantha Macklin, LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE
https://lamag.com/gas-prices/calls-grow-to-suspend-california-gas-tax-as-fuel-prices-spike
KTLA 5 (opens in new tab) says California gas prices are climbing across Southern California, and several gubernatorial candidates and state leaders are pushing to temporarily suspend the state’s 88-cent gas tax.
In Los Angeles County, the average price has reached $5.56 per gallon, with some areas seeing jumps of more than 50 cents since February, coinciding with the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
The proposed suspension targets the current highest gas tax in the nation. Analysts warn it could reach $7 per gallon, while California drivers already pay roughly $1.50 more than the national average due to environmental fees and the state’s requirement for a cleaner-burning fuel blend.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who is running for governor, is among those calling for swift action from state lawmakers. “I’m calling on Sacramento to temporarily suspend California’s gas tax, which is the highest in the nation,” Mahan said.
Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, also a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has expressed support on social media.
The effort has already reached the legislature. State. Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) introduced a bill in February to immediately eliminate the gas tax, arguing that rising fuel costs hit working families the hardest.
“We don’t have a lot of tools in our shed,” he told KNX News Radio on Tuesday. “(My bill) would save $1.08 per gallon the minute the governor signs it.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom has so far pushed back against the proposal, warning that suspending the tax can benefit oil companies more than consumers. He also pointed to policies from the Trump administration as a factor behind the current “sticker shock” at the pump.
However, Jamie Court, president of the Consumer Watchdog group, argues that the tax should remain in place because it funds essential road infrastructure. Court, author of “Five Ways to Lower California Gasoline Prices,” instead urges the state to focus on regulating refineries and preventing price gouging.
“The governor and the energy commission have to get some guts,” Court said.
