Letter: Gas tax should be suspended

BY Amritha

Editor, The Friday Flyer:

California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices are setting records and are only expected to get worse.

The average price is now over $5 per gallon and more than a dollar above the national average.

On Saturday, right here in Riverside County, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline rose 9.8 cents to $5.134, one day after recording its largest increase since July 2015.

A recent report noted that California’s taxes, fees, and regulations increased gas prices by $1.27 per gallon. Worse, that number is set to rise even more when California imposes another $500 million in higher gas taxes this summer.

With gas prices breaking records on a daily basis and inflation at a 40-year high, California’s families are stretched to the breaking point and facing extreme economic hardships. Relief is needed now!

That is why many of my colleagues and I are calling for the passage of AB 1638, which will suspend California’s $0.51/gallon gas excise tax for six months.

Our state’s current budget surplus — estimated to be between $46.5 billion and $69.5 billion — will be used to make up the $4.4 billion in revenue and ensure continued funding for important transportation projects.

While the state’s coffers are flush with cash, everyday Californians are hurting. California needs to stop the upcoming tax hike and suspend the current gas tax until prices decrease. Californians deserve a break.

— Kelly Seyarto
Assemblymember, Canyon Lake’s 67th District