{"id":99969,"date":"2026-06-04T10:54:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T10:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/99969\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T10:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T10:54:11","slug":"fresh-hell-for-california-drivers-as-gavin-newsom-quietly-hikes-gas-prices-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/99969\/","title":{"rendered":"Fresh hell for California drivers as Gavin Newsom quietly hikes gas prices again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Californians are set to be hit by further gas price hikes as Gavin Newsom quietly slipped through another tax increase<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The governor sent out a notice Monday signaling its gas tax will increase by about 2 cents beginning July 1.<\/p>\n

The tax will increase from 61.2 cents a gallon to 63.4 cents for regular gas. Diesel fuel saw a smaller jump of about 1.6 cents.<\/p>\n

The Golden State is often maligned for having the highest gas prices in the nation<\/a>. But the tax increase comes as prices for regular gas are falling statewide from $6.10 a gallon on average a week ago to $6.01 on Tuesday, according to AAA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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California sent out a notice Monday signaling its gas tax will increase by about 2 cents beginning on July 1. CDTFA<\/p>\n

The added tax guarantees prices will jump slightly on July 1.<\/p>\n

California’s excess gas taxes<\/a> are due to the state’s commitment to battling climate change, Newsom’s administration has signaled.<\/p>\n

It also dissuades drivers from adopting gas-guzzling vehicles and sways them toward expensive electric ones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lowering gas prices or allowing consumers to keep their gas vehicles has been a popular campaign stance for California gubernatorial candidates, including Republican Steve Hilton<\/a> and Democrats Matt Mahan and Xavier Becerra.<\/p>\n

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Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said Gov. Gavin Newsom should’ve suspended the tax long ago. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post<\/p>\n

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Democrat gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan says the tax is “regressive” and needs to end. Pedro Colo for CA Post<\/p>\n

Hilton said Newsom should’ve suspended the tax long ago.<\/p>\n

“Gavin Newsom should have suspended it, as I called upon him to do months ago. \u2029Now he has no excuse. What is wrong with Gavin Newsom?”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mahan says the tax is “regressive” and needs to end.<\/p>\n

“[The gas tax] is the most regressive tax in California \u2014 working people, rural people are spending three times as much maintaining our roads as wealthier EV owners,” he said.<\/p>\n

Becerra said Californians shouldn’t have to give up their gas vehicles as the state aims to push consumers away from them and toward electric vehicles for good by 2035.<\/p>\n

“California should transition from gas-powered vehicles when it makes sense \u2014 when infrastructure and affordability are there for California families,” Becerra wrote in response to a\u00a0Politico<\/a>\u00a0survey.<\/p>\n

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday for California’s June 2 open primary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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