Sacramento Snapshot: Could California pause the gas tax or start charging drivers fees based on mileage? A look at dueling proposals in the statehouse

"We need to tackle the affordability crisis, and the high gas prices fall on the whole economy, but it really does fall disproportionately on hardworking families who live paycheck to paycheck. So when you're seeing this perfect storm coming around, I do think more people are open to some of the short-term and midterm and long-term solutions."

"That "perfect storm" includes the ongoing affordability crisis in California. On top of that, there is the escalating conflict in Iran and the Middle East, which, as of Friday, had increased gas prices in the U.S. by about 11%, according to the New York Times. Then there are the recent shutdowns of oil refineries: Phillips 66's Los Angeles refinery closed last year, and Valero's Benicia refinery is set to shutter in April."

State Senator Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach, is proposing Senate Bill 1035 to suspend California's gas tax for one year, estimating it could save drivers $1.08 per gallon. Republicans have long opposed the state's gas tax and its annual increases, but past efforts have failed due to Democratic supermajority control. Strickland argues current conditions create a "perfect storm" that may generate broader support: California faces an ongoing affordability crisis, Middle East tensions have increased U.S. gas prices by 11%, and recent oil refinery closures in Los Angeles and Benicia are reducing supply. California's average gas price reached $4.905 per gallon compared to the national average of $3.32, disproportionately affecting low-income families.

Read at The Mercury News