On the heels of Democrats at the Capitol rejecting a plan to temporarily suspend the gas tax, there are now new plans being floated by lawmakers to give drivers a break at the pump.
Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon are proposing a law that would give financial relief to families struggling with paying for goods and gas. The proposal includes that there would be direct payments to families based on their annual income, and each taxpayer would get $200 if they are making less than $125,000 dollars a year. This comes after Assembly Democrats proposed another bill that would give $400 to all taxpayers as a financial relief to high gas. Democratic lawmakers at the Capitol add that they believe their proposal is better and likely to be pushed through legislation rather than a suspension of the state's gas tax, as Republican lawmakers such as Assemblyman Kevin Kiley have called for.
As of Saturday, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in California is listed at $5.83, according to AAA, making California one of the most expensive states in the country at the pump. The refund program that Democratic lawmakers are proposing would also include a grant program providing the level benefits to lower income Californians who do not file income taxes, a program that lawmakers say would also protect Proposition 98 funding levels from falling.
The proposal does not have a set date yet for voting, which will be needed to pass through state Legislature.