Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill has been renumbered for the special session and was amended on July 14 to include a 12 cents per gallon, or 40 percent, increase in the gas tax and a 22 cents, or 169 percent, increase in the diesel tax.
SB X1-1, the number for the "Transportation Funding for Road Maintenance" bill in the special session, calls for the increased taxes and fees to be permanent, while SB 16, Sen. Jim Beall's bill still active in the regular calendar session, requires the tax and fee program to be reauthorized every five years.
The initial gas tax increase included in SB 16 was 10 cents per gallon; 12 cents for diesel as posted here in April.
According to an SB X1-1 fact sheet, the funding legislation, introduced on June 22 and amended July 14, would:
- Index the gas and diesel fuel taxes every three years.
- Do away with the difficult-to-explain 2010 "Gas Tax Swap" that resulted in a six-cent decrease of the gas tax on July 1.
It would retain the two vehicle registration fees included in SB 16:
- An increase of $35 in the annual vehicle registration fee.
- A new $100 annual vehicle registration fee applicable to zero-emission motor vehicles [another of the many state electric vehicle (EV) fees) though new EV buyers will continue to receive up to $5,000 through the state Clean Vehicle Rebate Project].
- Add a new $35 "road access charge" on all passenger vehicles, similar to the $50 charge proposed by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins.
- Remove the proposed increase in the vehicle license fee (VLF), a progressive fee based on the value of the vehicle.
The taxes and fees would "raise an additional $4-4.5 billion annually," with no impacts to the General Fund, which might sound attractive but not for Republicans, who want General Fund transfers to the pay for roads. Click on California State Assembly Republican Caucus press releases, scroll down to: "6/29/2015, Fixing Our Roads #MakeGovWork," to see the Republican plan, including, "a formal commitment in the State Budget General Fund to fund transportation" at the level of $1 billion annually.
As Democrats lack the two-thirds majority in both chambers, some Republicans will need to support SB X1-1. The special session ends September 11.
FULL STORY: California Fuel Tax Bill Would Increase Diesel Tax by 22-Cents Per-Gallon

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service