Initiative filed to repeal California car and gas tax hikes

LOS ANGELES – A ballot initiative to repeal recently approved California car and gas tax increases was filed with the California Attorney General's office.

"Once we qualify this initiative for the ballot, 2018 will be remembered as the year we had another taxpayer revolt in California - where the outrageous car and gas taxes were reversed by voters and the politicians that enacted those tax hikes are punished at the ballot box," said proponent Carl DeMaio, a radio host and former San Diego city council member.

Lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1, a $51 billion transportation package in April.

DeMaio and others immediately protested.

Los Angeles-405 Traffic-Bloomberg
Vehicles in rush hour traffic approach the Interstate 405 freeway and 10 freeway interchange in this aerial photograph taken over Los Angeles, California, U.S. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

The former councilman led an effort to recall Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, a freshman Democratic legislator who voted for the bill.

DeMaio helped spearhead efforts to get the 100,000 signatures needed to qualify the measure for the ballot.

The next step in the qualification process is for the attorney general's office to draft a title and summary.

The measure would “amend the state Constitution to reverse the tax hikes and strip state politicians of the power to raise car and gas taxes in the future without a vote of the people,” according to DeMaio.

"Sacramento politicians really crossed the line with these massive car and gas tax hikes and we intend to give taxpayers the chance to reverse that decision with this initiative," said DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California.

Backers of the initiative to roll back the car and gas tax hikes need to collect 585,407 signatures from California voters to force the measure on the November 2018 ballot.

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