{"id":10319,"date":"2023-11-27T16:22:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T23:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=10319"},"modified":"2023-11-27T16:22:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T23:22:08","slug":"california-senate-republicans-continue-fighting-against-utility-income-based-fixed-charge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=10319","title":{"rendered":"California Senate Republicans Continue Fighting Against Utility Income-Based Fixed Charge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Letter invites governor to collaborate on fixing flawed law<\/p>\n

that will increase utility costs as early as July 2024<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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SACRAMENTO\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones<\/a>\u00a0(R-San Diego) and members of the California Senate Republican Caucus delivered an\u00a0urgent letter<\/a>\u00a0to Governor Newsom requesting that he join the caucus and 23 Democrat lawmakers to repeal, or substantially amend, a law authorizing a fixed-charge billing system for electricity bills based on household income. Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to read the letter.<\/p>\n

The income-based fixed charge was pushed by the supermajority party in a bill last legislative session. Senate Republicans coined the term\u00a0\u2018Hard Work Utility Tax\u2019\u00a0for it because it is an unjust and regressive plan that fails to recognize the differences in energy usage among households\u00a0and will unfairly burden low-income and struggling middle-class families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are once again raising a red flag about the income-based fixed charge on electrical bills,\u201d\u00a0said Leader Jones.\u00a0\u201cDespite the supermajority initially pushing it forward, I\u2019m glad to see 23 of my Democrat colleagues finally speaking out about how burdensome the fixed charge will be on Californians. Senate Republicans are inviting the governor to join us and work together in a bipartisan manner on fixing this poorly constructed billing system before it\u2019s too late. The last thing Californians need is another charge that will make it harder for them to make ends meet, which is exactly what the ‘Hard Work Utility Tax’ will do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe California Public Utilities Commission, a board made up of Governor appointees, just approved electricity rate hikes that will go into effect next summer, and it\u2019s at the forefront of my mind as we head into the new year. Yet again, California is making a high quality of life unaffordable for the average family. As parents and families preparing for the holiday season, we shouldn\u2019t have to worry about unexpectedly high utility bills in 2024,\u201d said\u00a0Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa).<\/p>\n

Below is an excerpt of the letter and click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to download the entire letter.<\/p>\n

\u2026 We are all supportive of efforts to stabilize and improve the safety of the grid and lower electricity rates for Californians. However, implementing a structured fixed-charge system that diminishes individual responsibility and usage in favor of an \u201cidentity\u201d subsidization is not, in our opinion, an answer. More fees are not a solution to already ridiculously high utility bills.\u00a0\u2026.<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND:<\/p>\n