Gas prices have surged throughout the country, and California is certainly no exception. Gas prices in San Diego County are teetering around $6 per gallon. Democrats seem almost unbothered by the rise in gas prices. They have twice voted against Assemblyman Kevin Kiley’s bill that would suspend the gas tax. Three San Diego Assembly Democrats voted against Kiley’s bill with one, Brian Maienschein, abstaining. President Biden told Americans to buy an electric car to save money on gas. The average price for an electric car is $56,437.
San Diego State Senator Brian Jones has been one of the leaders in alleviating the pain at the pump for Californians. Jones has even supported rebates, but also supports suspending the gas tax with it. Jones criticized Democrats in Legislature and Governor Newsom for avoiding the issue, “We could lower the price of gasoline between 51 cents and a dollar per gallon by today if the legislature and the governor would have taken action.”
Jones also criticized the Democrats in the Transportation committee for gutting Kevin Kiley’s original bill by adding in a tax on oil companies profits. “One of the Democrat members of the committee from the Bay Area did a procedure what we call a ‘hostile amend’, meaning he took the language of Kevin Kiley’s bill out of his bill and put in his own language”. The amendment has essentially killed the suspension of the original gas tax suspension bill.
Jones said that gas prices and lowering prices should not be a partisan issue, and that Californians just want to see some relief at the gas pump. While prices have decreased slightly over the last two days, Summer is coming quickly and gas prices go up due to the summer blend. Jones said that taxpayers want Republicans and Democrats to come together on this issue, but does not understand why Democrats have been avoiding this issue.
Photo Cred: Miguel Gutierrez Jr/ CalMatters
