Consequences of repealing Calif. gas tax
By Caitlin Chen, Sacramento Bee
A November ballot measure to repeal California’s recent gas tax increase threatens road improvement and maintenance projects that receive funding through the tax.
The initiative, which requires voter approval for any new gas tax increase, is retroactive to the beginning of 2017, effectively stopping the new fees created when lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1 last year. State and local infrastructure projects would not receive funding beyond the current fiscal year.
The California Department of Transportation and local agencies say they would try to finish all active projects, but projects that haven’t started construction would have to be canceled, downsized or delayed indefinitely.