Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add a video.<\/p>\n
(The Center Square) \u2013 California drivers and their wallets would get some relief at the pump if a new bill passes the state Legislature this year.<\/p>\n
Assembly Bill 1745<\/a>, introduced by Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, would suspend the state\u2019s gas tax for one year. The tax currently sits at 61 cents a gallon, according to lawmakers with knowledge of the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornians pay among the highest gas prices in the nation,\u201d Gonzalez said Tuesday at a press conference announcing the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile families are tightening their belts, Sacramento continues to ask them for more,” he told reporters at the Capitol in Sacramento. “Parents should not have to choose between paying for gas or buying groceries.\u201d<\/p>\n According to AAA<\/a>, California had the highest gas prices in the country on Tuesday. The average price of a gallon of gas in California was $4.63 a gallon, followed closely by Hawaii at $4.40 a gallon, Washington state at $4.35, Oregon at $3.91, Nevada at $3.70, Arizona at $3.25, Pennsylvania at $3.13 and Vermont at $3.<\/p>\n The lowest gas prices in the country on Tuesday were in Oklahoma, where the average price of gas was $2.37 a gallon, according to AAA\u2019s fuel prices tracker. The national average price was $2.95.<\/p>\n \u201cHigh gas taxes, rising fees and decisions from the politicians who control the capital are making it harder for working families to make ends meet,\u201d said Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, during the press conference. \u201cThis bill is a simple common-sense solution. It would temporarily suspend the gas tax and put real money back into your pockets when you need it the most.\u201d<\/p>\n The effort to temporarily lift the gas tax in California follows a bill introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City and chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, that would study the impact and feasibility of imposing a per-mile road user charge on California\u2019s drivers. Assembly Bill 1421<\/a> was introduced in response to fears of declining gas tax revenue as more California drivers buy electric cars \u2013 eliminating the need to fill up a vehicle\u2019s tank.<\/p>\n