Xavier Becerra revived the California mileage tax debate in the California gubernatorial race after saying, when asked about a vehicle-miles-traveled tax, that “Everything should be on the table.” He made the remark in a recent interview with KCRA 3’s Ashley Zavala, where he also said roads are not paid for by “some magic wand” and people have to pay for them.
He also said he does not want to tax people more than necessary. That leaves his comments in a narrow lane: he acknowledged a possible mileage-based charge while trying to limit how far he would go with new taxes.
KCRA 3 interview
In the interview, Becerra said, “Our roads aren't paid for by some magic wand; we have to pay for it. Do I want to tax people more than necessary? No,” before adding, “Everything should be on the table.” The exchange put a vehicle-miles-traveled tax back into the governor’s race days before Election Day.
The issue is not new. Lori Wilson said AB 1421 is a continuation of a study bill enacted as a legislature in 2014, and she spoke to FOX 11 in February about a proposal focused on studying a potential mileage-based fee system to make up for a projected loss in gas tax revenue.
Republican criticism
Steve Hilton rejected the idea as Becerra opened the door to it. He said, “By the way, this is on top of the highest gas tax in the country, on top of the highest car or truck registration fees in the country, it just never ends,” and added that “93 percent of the cars and trucks on our roads run on gas and diesel, so it's just not correct to say that this is some problem, mileage tax solution right now.”
Republican state lawmakers said plans previously studied could charge drivers between 6 and 9 cents per mile, which they said could mean about $1,000 a year in new taxes for the average driver. Those figures are why the proposal draws immediate attention from drivers, because the cost is measured directly against miles driven rather than fuel purchased.
Campaign response
A spokesperson for Becerra’s campaign said he has not proposed a mileage tax. The spokesperson also said working families already pay their share every day and that the billionaires Hilton wants to protect will pay their fair share under Becerra’s watch.
Kate Gordon added a different rationale for heavier vehicles, saying, “There are also ideas for additional taxes for heavier vehicles. Roads have more wear and tear when the vehicle is heavier, so it's really our heavy-duty trucks that are creating most of the wear and tear.” She also said, “The bottom line is we are going to have to find ways to pay for that infrastructure, and they will include being more creative and opening new avenues,” keeping the debate focused on how California pays for aging roadways rather than whether the idea will disappear.
