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Obernolte’s Transportation Bill
Not a single dollar of the cap-and-trade tax
money is being used to fund the roads
and highways drivers drive on.”
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Assembly Bill 2094 would have dedicated an additional
$1 billion
to roads without raising taxes
SACRAMENTO
– Assembly Bill 2094 authored by Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) was
voted down along party lines in the Assembly Transportation Committee
yesterday. The legislation sought to increase funding for state and local roads
by $1 billion dollars annually without raising taxes on Californians.
“Funding
roads is a core function of government and Californians deserve better,”
Obernolte said. “Drivers in this state are paying $2 billion more annually on gasoline
due to the recently enacted cap-and-trade tax, and yet not a single
dollar of that money is being used to fund the roads and highways they drive on.”
California’s
cap-and-trade program places a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and requires
businesses to obtain an allowance for every metric ton of carbon dioxide
equivalent they emit. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), this
program is currently costing Californians 11 cents per gallon of gasoline, and
that number could rise to 20 cents per gallon by 2020.
To help
address California’s significant road funding needs, AB 2094 proposed to
redirect the 0.25% sales tax that currently funds local transit projects to
state and local roads, and then backfill those transit dollars with
cap-and-trade revenue from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. In total, the
bill would have provided an additional $500 million annually for the State
Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) and $500 million annually for
local streets and roads.
“Governor
Brown recently proposed raising the gas tax an additional 6 cents per gallon
and adding a new $65 annual fee per vehicle to pay for these needed road repairs.
AB 2094 offered an alternative funding solution that would not put a
greater burden on California taxpayers,” Obernolte said.
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