PHOENIX - California's legislative session ended Friday without a transportation funding plan, but legislative leaders vowed to complete the work through a conference committee this fall.
The California Assembly and Senate wrapped up their work on Sept. 11 without passing much hoped-for legislation that would close what the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown says is a $5.7 billion annual road infrastructure repair funding gap.
Despite bipartisan agreement that more road funding is needed, the Democratic majority in both chambers was not able to convince enough Republicans to increase taxes to meet the need.
In California, tax increases require two-thirds approval of both chambers of the legislature in order to reach the governor's desk for signature. That means the votes of at least a few members of the minority are needed.
Republicans preferred approaches that did not include major tax hikes or vehicle registration fee increases, instead advocating for spending cutbacks and increased use of public-private partnerships.
Republican leaders in the legislature have been especially hostile to the idea of a gas tax increase, arguing that Californians already pay the 4th-highest per-gallon gas taxes in the nation. Gas taxes are the traditional method of funding road infrastructure, but political hesitancy to increase them along with the effects of inflation and more fuel-efficient cars have reduced their impact.
Brown, a Democrat, proposed his own $3.6 billion framework earlier this month that would have included a new $65 vehicle registration fee as well as hikes to the gas and diesel taxes. That idea found favor with state and local groups, but it did not find a footing with lawmakers in the closing days of the session. Brown has made transportation funding a major focus of his administration, and had called lawmakers to a special session to find a funding solution. Lawmakers had hoped to find the transportation solution before the close of the regular session, but conceded in the final few days that it would not be possible.
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Le-n, D-Los Angeles, announced Sept. 9 that a conference committee would continue the special session's work in the coming weeks. That proclamation drew hearty approval from the Fix Our Roads Coalition, an alliance of cities, counties, labor groups, and business and transportation advocates.
"We want to thank the governor and legislative leadership for their pledge to continue the fight to come up with a transportation funding and reform package," the coalition said in a statement. "We support the call for a conference committee to meet over the coming weeks."
Brown told The Sacramento Bee that the roads would get fixed, "whether it takes a week, a month, a year or two."
The Fix Our Roads coalition vowed to intensify lobbying efforts in Sacramento as lawmakers continue to debate into the fall.
"Californians expect and deserve solutions to fix our deteriorating roads," the coalition said.
