California drivers could face a new tax for every mile they travel if gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra gets his way, as the Democrat says he’s willing to consider the controversial proposal to pay for the state’s crumbling roads.
“Everything should be on the table,” Becerra said in an interview with KCRA’s Ashley Zavala, when asked whether he would support a mileage-based tax as governor.
“Our roads aren’t maintained just by some magic wand. We have to pay for it. Do I want to tax people more than necessary? No. Should we pay a gas tax? Yes. Should people who drive electric vehicles, who don’t need gas, pay for those roads to be repaired as well? Absolutely.”
The former California attorney general and Biden Health and Human Services secretary is running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, with his comments coming as state officials wrap up a study on whether to replace the traditional gas tax with a vehicle-miles-traveled fee.
The proposal could add another expense for Californians already struggling with the state’s high cost of living, while critics warn the charge would hit drivers who rack up long commutes particularly hard.
Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio has been sounding the alarm over the possibility of a statewide mileage tax, arguing that Democrats could push it through the Legislature without putting the measure directly before voters.
Under the plan outlined by DeMaio, motorists could pay between 6 cents and 9 cents for every mile driven, on top of existing gas and vehicle taxes.
NEXT UP: South Carolina Energy Dept. Lab Fire Prompts Radiological Release Alert
A driver logging 15,000 miles a year would pay an additional $900 annually at the lower rate. DeMaio has compared the charge to an 87-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax.
“Because of the extreme policies of Democrats in Sacramento, California has the highest cost of living in the nation – and now the Democrats want to make it worse by imposing a crazy new Mileage Tax on all drivers,” he said.
DeMaio argues the state has failed to properly maintain its roads despite collecting taxes intended to pay for them.
“We already pay a gas tax and a car tax for roads that are falling apart, and that money has been diverted elsewhere,” DeMaio explained.
He also warns the tax could disproportionately burden working-class Californians who have been forced to live farther from job centers because of the state’s expensive housing market.
California has explored mileage-based fees for years, including a pilot program included in SB 1 in 2018. San Diego County officials also considered a local version in 2021 before abandoning the effort following public opposition.
Becerra’s willingness to consider the fee comes as he has also floated higher taxes on wealthy Californians and new fees on corporations that fail to provide sufficient health benefits to full-time workers.
The election is Tuesday.
