Gas tax hike survives voter repeal effort

SACRAMENTO — A 12-cent gasoline tax approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown remains in effect, as California’s voters failed to overturn Senate Bill 1 (SB1) through the ballot initiative process. Proposition 6, which proposed a repeal of the gas tax, with only 44.7 percent of the electorate voting in favor of the initiative on Nov. 6. The gas tax hike has certainly been felt at the pump by drivers and boaters alike. Several sources spoke with The Log shortly after SB1 became law in mid-2017 and said the 12-cent levy fully applied to fuel docks across the state. Repealing the gas tax hike, accordingly, could have brought relief to everyone filling up – be it at a terrestrial gas station or on-the-water fuel dock. Yet the tax remains in place. Voters had the opportunity to chime in on the gas tax hike repeal via Proposition 6, but the levy itself was quite the strain on California’s political climate as soon as it became law in mid-2017. Josh Newman, for example, lost his seat in the State Senate as a direct result of the gas tax hike. Newman, who defeated Ling Ling Chang by the skin of his...