"In early 2026, California's plan to explore replacing its long-standing gas tax with a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee ignited a firestorm of public debate and online outrage. Headlines and social media feeds on the conservative right lit up with claims that the state was on the verge of imposing a new "mileage tax" that would charge drivers per mile driven - sparking fears of higher costs for commuters and grumbling about government overreach."
"Yet beneath the buzz and the partisan rhetoric lies a more precise reality: the legislation that prompted this uproar - Assembly Bill 1421 - does not immediately create or implement a new tax. Instead, the bill, which the California Assembly passed on January 29, 2026, directs the California Transportation Commission to continue and deepen a study into whether a road usage charge could eventually serve as an alternative to the state's traditional gas tax."
California passed Assembly Bill 1421 on January 29, 2026, directing the California Transportation Commission to continue and deepen study of a road usage charge as a possible alternative to the state gas tax. The bill does not immediately create or implement a new tax. Public reaction included intense online and conservative-right criticism framing the measure as an imminent per-mile "mileage tax." Assemblymember Lori Wilson said the bill consolidates prior studies and pilot programs and requests a complete report to the Legislature. California faces a roughly $215 billion ten-year transportation funding gap and a 13% reduction in transportation spending in the 2025-26 budget. The Motor Vehicle Account faces insolvency by 2025-26 without transfers.
Read at Streetsblog
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]