Gas prices, Sacramento, CA, June 13, 2022. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
Another New Gas Tax: CA Gas Prices to Increase Another 50-Cents with ‘Clean Air Tax’
The CARB will continue raising gas taxes, illegally, because more is never enough
By Katy Grimes, May 21, 2024 1:32 pm
I get the feeling that California drivers may just initiate a Sacramento Tea Party, but instead of dumping highly taxed tea into the harbor, this one may involve gas pumps.
We already know that California’s gas prices and gas taxes are the highest in the nation. Buckle up – they are going higher.
The California Governor, Legislature and State Air Resources Board are working hand in glove to restrict the availability of oil and gas and increase the cost of gas at the pump so severely, middle class and working class drivers will be making choices between groceries and fuel for the car.
The California Air Resources Board is mandating an additional 50 cents per gallon be added to the price of gas in California. This is all part of the goal to force California’s drivers out of their cars, and/or into electric vehicles. But ultimately, the Democrats’ goal is to ban petroleum-powered internal combustion engines by 2035 and gas-powered vehicles.
It is important to note that all tax increases are required to be voted on by the California Legislature. But the CARB – a state agency made up of political appointees – has been bypassing the Legislature for years and passing their own “clean air” and “climate change” taxes – obviously with the implicit approval of the Legislature.
The end goal is to price the middle class out of their cars. The left claims that it is all part of the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85-percent by 2045.
In a death-by-a-thousand-cuts measure, there is also a bill to further harm California’s oil and gas industry by allowing local governments to ban oil and gas operations.
According to the Western States Petroleum Association:
“Assembly Bill 3233 by Assemblywoman Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would authorize a local entity, by ordinance, to limit or prohibit oil and gas operations. In 2023, the California Supreme Court held that State law, and in particular Section 3106 of the Public Resources Code (PRC), preempts any contradictory ban or limitation imposed by a local authority on the methods of oil and gas production in its jurisdiction. The bill seeks to circumvent the recent California Supreme Court case law and Section 3106 PRC, and replace the comprehensive, longstanding State law with a patchwork of local ordinances that may ban or add unfeasible limits to oil and gas exploration, production and abandonment work.
By allowing local governments to adopt ordinances that may prohibit or significantly restrict an operator’s right to operate its existing oil and gas production wells or other facilities, AB 3233 has the potential to expose these local governments to significant liability. Operators hold valuable property rights in their existing oil and gas production operations. A local ordinance that results in a facial or de facto prohibition may result in an unconstitutional violation of the Takings Clause under the federal and state constitutions unless the local government pays just compensation for the taking of these property rights from the operator.”
Here are some of the costly taxation policies implemented in California by the Legislature, Governor and Air Resources Board that drive up the cost of gasoline:
- 59.6 cents – State gas tax – increases annually
- 28 cents – Cap and Trade (estimate)
- 23 cents – Low Carbon Fuel Standard (estimate)
- 2 cents – Underground Storage Fee
- 10-15 cents – California’s switch to summer-blend costs more to produce than other types of gasoline.
- 14.4 cents – State sales tax (estimate based on 6/20 average price)
- 18.4 cents – Federal Excise tax
California’s total gas tax is approximately $1.43 per gallon today – on top of increasing gas prices, and will be nearly $2.00 per gallon by 2026.
State Senator Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach) is on a mission to make sure voters and consumers know about this latest hit, which she calls a “secret” tax. She said in an email Monday:
Did you know that we have a carbon gas tax that will rise to 47 cents next year? For those of you who drive a lot, this will be several thousands of dollars a year in taxes you didn’t anticipate. I was shocked when I learned about it because neither the governor nor the California Air Resources Board – who is implementing the tax – has warned us.
In 2026, the carbon tax will be 52 cents and keep increasing each year. So I’m on a mission to let everyone know. This tax will promote electric vehicles on top the gas tax we already pay. Even Newsom’s own Energy Commission admits that California already adds $1.25 in taxes/fees to the price of a gallon of gasoline.
I’ve had about a dozen appearances on TV, radio and in digital news discussing this. I also started a petition against this carbon gas tax that you can find here.
Here is one of her appearances on Fox News, and her YouTube message:
The 2023 CARB Low Carbon Fuel Standard amendments document unabashedly outlines in black-and-white, the new gas tax increases through 2042 (page 57):
If unchecked, the CARB will continue raising gas taxes, illegally, because more is never enough.
I ask what circle of Hell has California devolved into?
The tax and spend state loves sticking it to the middle class!
We have narrow city streets, narrow freeway lanes and fees galore to persuade us out of our cars that provide us free movement!
Cal Sunstein must be oh so proud! The nudge affect is alive and well.
The wealthy will still fly on their private planes and drive their big SUV’s and luxury cars.
Memo to CARB:
No one wants to ride on your crime ridden busses, metro/Bart trains!
No one wants your EV cars!
Our quality of life is already declining without CARB mandating taxes illegally.
CARB needs to be eliminated.
CA has been a one party state for decades. The constituents haven’t made the connection..havent connected the dots yet.
If history is any teacher, they will keep voting for the same and expecting something differernt.
Newsome must go.
This is thee only option too Free California.
We’d love to. What do you suggest starting, they pretty much control the votes
But of course many would love to. What would you suggest ..they pretty much control the vote?
you’re so right ,you in California need to vote these demons out of office
#@%%&& idiot’s, leaches, scum sucking swine!
l left Cali because of your over the top taxes and B S fees. you have already removed the middle class and can’t even control your border which is the most important issue for the state.. so sorry the the people of cali.
At some point SCOTUS has to stop them. No government in America can use lawfare against its citizens to force changes that do not apply nationally.
CalCarb has turned to a cartel intent on destroying American’s freedom by demanding world wide goals not approved by voters.
California voters are to blame. their politicians are only a manifestation of their will.
they have zero right to argue.
Get rid of the democrats control over California. Why do people keep voting the same idiots into office? Vote them out.
people keep voting dumocrat because they are all sheep and don’t know any better
Brad, you are oh so right!
Are they, Brad? Or are we being “Dominioned” by the Democrats (Padilla) that put the voting platforms in place, then skated to The Swamp in D.C….
While I was living in Copenhagen, Denmark the national tax board (loosely translated) imposed another egregious fuel tax. The day subsequent to the imposition of the tax increase every car in the tax assessor’s office parking lot and the adjoining administration building was burned to the ground: The subject tax was rescinded.
that’s what I’m talking about!! how shit should b
Thanks Katy for the wonderful news. You don’t get this information on our local news stations which is why I quit watching them long ago. I rely on California Globe, Newsmax, Just the News, and a few other sites that give honest straightforward news.
Maybe California Globe should list the CARB Board Members along with their photos to give faces and names to these unelected bureaucrats who are making life miserable for working Californians who are struggling with ever increasing taxes and prices on everything? These invisible bureaucrats need to be named, shamed and be held accountable at some point?
The California Air Resources Board consists of 14 voting members and 2 ex officio nonvoting members who are members of the Legislature, one from the Senate and the other from the Assembly. Of the 14 voting members, 12 are appointed by the Governor with Senate confirmation, and include: 6 who serve on local air districts, 4 experts in fields that shape air quality rules, and 2 public members. The other 2 voting members represent environmental justice communities and are appointed one each by the Senate Rules Committee and the Assembly Speaker. The Chair serves as the only full-time member and is appointed by the Governor from among the voting members. Below are the CARB Board Members:
Liane M. Randolph
John Eisenhut
Susan A. Shaheen
John R. Balmes, M.D.
Diane Takvorian
Cliff Rechtschaffen
Dean Florez
Hector De La Torre
Davina Hurt
V. Manuel Perez
Eric Guerra
Nora Vargas
Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner
Gideon Kracov
Henry Stern
Eduardo Garcia
Hon. Steven S. Cliff
Edie Chang
Chanell Fletcher
Annette Hebert
Edna Murphy
Rajinder Sahota
Sydney Vergis, Ph.D.
Ellen M. Peter
(https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/about/leadership)
Look at the bloated salaries of these people. This agency needs to have it’s budget cut in half or MORE…..https://www.salary.com/research/company/the-california-air-resources-board-salary
Eric Guerra has been my Sacramento City Councilmember for District 6 since 2015. I’ve never voted for him. It appears that he was appointed to CARB by Newsom in January 2023. He has a Master of Public Policy degree from California State University, Sacramento and has been involved in Democrat politics his entire working career. As Katy Grimes pointed out, all tax increases are required to be voted on by the California Legislature. Guerra and the rest of the CARB members need to stop imposing taxes!
thank you. we should all call and bother them until they change this illegal ridiculous law putting thousands of companies and businesses and people out of business. how dare they? we did not vote for this
This won’t be rescinded, no matter how outrageous it gets. We’ve lost an honest voting process and in the interim, the legislature has set up a system where they “outsource” politically inconvenient voting decisions to deflect any blame.
This will be a test for the California GOP – let’s see what kind of pushback they initiate in response to this completely unconstitutional end-run of codified legislative processes and procedures….
Ohhhhh, Jessssssicaaaaaaaa……
Unfortunately, the GOP have to run against Santa Claus.
Your either at the table, or on the menu…
Currently, the California State Legislature stands at 77% and 80% , Democrats,…… have had a 60%+ majority since 2000.
TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS!!! Educate them on this SUPER MAJORITY. I’ve got a sign in my front yard that says “Had enough yet? Vote Republican” I also printed up fliers listing the years of MAJORITY Democratic rule, with the budget along side it and handed out to my neighbors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Legislature Go down to the bottom to “Sessions”
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis
they can do this because California voters are the biggest sheep in America also the stooooopdest
To Jack Proud: Perhaps you are too proud. If you did not personally live and vote in California for 40 years like I did, you did not witness the cronyism, the straight up intentional mislabeling of ballot measures that did the opposite of their promoted purpose and nepotism which has led CA to be a single party ruled with an iron fist state. But it was not always this way, Ronald Reagan was governor and even under previous democrat governors, democrats did not have absolute control. Today CA rulers simply laugh at their own constituents who dare even question them. What makes them so confident? It’s like they know they can’t lose regardless of their constituents opposition and their lack of votes, it doesn’t matter, it’s rigged
well we fought a tyrannical, oppressive government once before remember the American Revolution.
We won then and we can win again. This is our reality and our nightmare we need to stand together and fight. This is “TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION” and nothing less Gavin Newsome needs to be stopped or we will all be living in the welfare state of communism.
What authority does this non-elected entity have to issue any “mandates” and who enforces this “mandate”?
As we learned in the plandemic, a “mandate” is only a suggestion, not law…
Time to push back against these unelected bureaucrats….
I am now a Republican after being a life long Democrat. I cannot afford to be a Democrat!
Newsome must go.
This is thee only option too Free California.
The EPA ruining Southern California since 1985. closed all the factories,steel mills and now pushing all the Long time residents out of a once nice place to live. can hardly wait for the riots and gas station burning in some neighborhoods.
This is absolutely absurd. California we need a regime change. And we need a change like yesterday!
Wake up California Go to the polls and vote for the right choice. not for the same people. Wait isn’t that the definition of insanity!
Is it OUR will, Brad, or is it Dominion’s and the other electronic voting platforms….
I wonder if Newsom will attempt to re-negotiate China’s greenhouse gas emission output on his NEXT visit, or will he just collect his check for all the “mandates” that his minions have promulgated to advance their economic agenda???
Or is this directive a direct result of his LAST visit???
The Chinese EV market needs a captive audience….
Don’t know why we continue to support these democratic officials.
This has reached a tipping point. November can’t come too soon. Wish I was 20 years younger. I’d be out of here. The golden state has lost its luster. Feel sorry for future generations.
Newsom can forget about any presidential aspirations. We can’t afford it.
Outlaw trailer bills!
Everyone complaining about it also voted for it. We tried to remove Newsome but you liberals think you know everything. Remember when everyone wanted to live here (the 80’s)? Well you all moved here and ruined it. Now it’s just illegals hispanics (thieves), drug addicts, and super rich idiots.
Any chance this petition will help….seems to me this group of non elected officials & governor appointed vote as directed!?!
Screwed in CA! Voting has consequences. Vote the liberal/Dems out!
Still can’t believe Newsome recall failed?!
You go, Senator Nguyen. The air is clean. This is another BS tax to get people into EVs, duh. I’m old, and I remember the smog of the 50s and 60s. “Nothing is enough for whom enough is too little.” —Epicurus
Go, Kathy,Go!
I also heard this on the John McGinnes Show (KFBK).
Also heard about Cloward-Piven strategy I never had before.
PLEASE Google it.