May 24, 2021 6:15 PM, EDT
In California, Gas Taxes Are Rising While Repairs Are Lagging
Rush-hour traffic eastbound on the 91 freeway heading into the Inland Empire in Corona. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Tribune Content Agency)
Four years after the California Legislature boosted the gas tax in order to fix the state’s crumbling roads and bridges, California has spent billions and made some progress in repairs, but officials now say the funding is sufficient to complete less than half of the work needed.
The gas tax has been a political hot potato since it was passed in 2017, resulting in the recall of a Democratic state senator who voted for the legislation and an unsuccessful attempt by Republicans in 2018 to ask voters to repeal the higher charges.