Republicans Oppose Democrats Mileage Gas Tax Efforts
Voters Urged to Sign Petition at StopTheMileageTax.org
Written by Mike Hernandez
SACRAMENTO–California Democratic legislators are pursuing a new mileage tax fee that they say will replace the state’s gas tax as proposed by Assembly Bill 1421 in order to fund transportation infrastructure and repairs. Republicans are opposing the efforts:
“We already pay the highest gas taxes in the nation,” said 42-year-old Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora. R-09. “Now Sacramento is talking about adding a new tax for every mile people drive. Piling on another tax right now shows just how out of touch politicians in Sacramento are with the reality working families face.”
Reform California leader Carl DeMaio, San Diego 51-year-old Republican Assemblyman, 75th District, warns: “California’s greedy politicians have already imposed the highest gas tax and car tax in the nation on drivers, and now they want to impose a new mileage tax to charge us per mile we drive to get more of our money!”
The California Mileage Tax proposal would require tracking every driver’s mileage and charge them six to nine cents per mile they drive. This would result in an increase in tax money of between 87 cents to $1.15 per gallon of gas. According to DeMaio, the typical California driver with an average drive of 15,000 miles a year will be forced to pay $900-$1,200 a year in higher taxes. The typical two-car family will end up paying more than $4,200 in taxes a year for driving in California.”
AB 1421 was authored by Lori Wilson, D-11, representing Solano and parts of Contra Costa County since 2022. She is also an advocate for parents affirming gender identity. Previously, the 49-year-old legislator was Suisun City Mayor. The co-author of the measure is Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-4, representing Yolo County since 2016, and former Winters Mayor.
Republican lawmakers at the California State Capitol are opposing a study–due on Jan. 1, 2027–weighing whether to replace the state’s gas tax with a mileage-based fee system as proposed in Assembly Bill 1421. Assemblyman DeMaio believes the mileage tax would be added to the existing gas tax despite the claims from Democrats.
The bill aims to extend the “Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee” until January 2035, with the goal of replacing the current gas tax system with a per-mile usage fee to fund transportation infrastructure and repairs.
As vehicles become more fuel-efficient and more electric cars hit the road, less gas is sold, leading to a drop in revenue, prompting lawmakers to seek ways to protect transportation funding claims Republican legislators.
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio states that those against a mileage tax can go to: stopthemileagetax.org which is on his Reform California website and sign the petition at: https://www.reformcalifornia.org/forms/petition-stop-the-mileage-tax. A 14-minute YouTube video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUpYmO1tuEs.
A motion to amend AB 1421 by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio failed 50 to 22 (8 present.)
AB 1421 went through the Appropriations Committee on Jan 22, where the bill directs the California Transportation Commission (CC) in consultation with the California Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to prepare research and recommendations for a road user charge. The legislative measure already had gone through a Jan. 12 hearing of the Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee, and third reading in the California Assembly on Jan. 5, 2026 where it passed: 43 yes, 21 no. AB 1421 was initially introduced in the California State Assembly on Feb. 21, 2025.
(Editor’s Note: The Shasta County Republican Assembly sent out an email about AB 1421 with the logo “Republican Rising” prior to the local chapter’s Thurs., Feb 5 meeting which starts at 6 p.m. scheduled at Shasta Bible College Chapel, 2951 Goodwater Ave., Redding CA 96002. On the meeting agenda is “Election of 2026 Officers”.)
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Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for Citizensjournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “CaliRed News” on Substack.com and “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.