video posted to Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cCalifornians already pay the highest gas taxes in the nation, and now the idea is that if you use the roads, you\u2019ll also be taxed per mile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tangipa, who commutes long distances from his district in the Central Valley to Sacramento, framed the proposal as an existential threat to working-class Californians and rural residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my own case, I drive a lot of miles just getting to the Capitol,\u201d he said. \u201cIf a mileage tax had been in place last year, I would have paid more in mileage taxes than I paid in property taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
A central concern raised by Tangipa is the possibility of \u201cdouble taxation,\u201d in which drivers would be required to pay both the gas tax and a mileage-based fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can\u2019t afford an electric vehicle, you risk being double taxed,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a direct hit on everyday Californians who are just trying to get by.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson disputes that characterization, stating that she and other supporters in the Legislature reject double taxation and are considering how any future system could replace \u2014 not stack on top of \u2014 the gas tax.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She also stresses that AB 1421 does not authorize a new tax, nor does it mandate a mileage-based system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis bill is about information,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt\u2019s about understanding what\u2019s working, what\u2019s not, and how California\u2019s unique geography and diversity should shape our decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tangipa remains unconvinced. While supporters describe the bill as a study, he argues that its purpose is clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say it\u2019s only a study,\u201d Tangipa told CBM. \u201cBut the study is about how to implement a mileage-based tax. Californians deserve to know the direction Sacramento is moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also questioned why lawmakers would explore new revenue mechanisms at a time of record state tax revenues.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when the state has historic tax revenue, they\u2019re still looking for ways to take more from drivers instead of reallocating existing funds,\u201d Tangipa said. \u201cIf infrastructure is the priority, then fix the budget before asking people to pay more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson, meanwhile, says the public conversation is exactly the point. Since becoming committee chair, she has held multiple town halls, met with city and county officials, and scheduled additional hearings to gather input from residents across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come into this with a predetermined outcome,\u201d she said. \u201cI want Californians to weigh in. This isn\u2019t about a silver bullet \u2014 it\u2019s about building a sustainable, fair system over time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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