Written by Brock Johnson
On Thursday a group of California lawmakers proposed a $400 rebate for every taxpayer in the state to offset rising gas prices. According to assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, the proposal will use $9 billion from the state’s budget surplus to fund the $400 rebates. The lawmakers note that the $400 rebate will easily cover the 51.1 cents-per-gallon gas tax for a year of weekly fill-ups of a 15-gallon fuel tank. The lawmaker’s proposal includes all California taxpayers including those who do not drive or do not own a car.
In a statement, Petrie-Norris said “Many Californians are feeling severe financial pain at the pump and looking to California’s leaders for help…We believe a rebate is the best approach to directly put money in people’s pockets.”
Reactions to the proposition have been mixed according to NBC Bay Area as some people believe that more needs to be done to help Californians cope with the record high gas prices while others believe that temporarily repealing the gas tax would have been sufficient.
Contra Costa Republican Chairman Matt Shupe commented on the Democrats blocking the proposition of repealing the 50 cent gas tax saying “I think this was a real missed opportunity for bipartisanship and working across the aisle to help every Californian in the state that is hurting from this”.
Regardless of the politics behind the decisions made regarding gas savings, all Californians will be relieved to save money at the pump, with California having the highest average gas price in the nation.
Photo Cred: Fredric J. Brown/ AFP via Getty Images
