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California will have the highest gas tax in the US starting July 1

Posted at 10:56 AM, Jun 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-23 14:16:11-04

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGTV) -- California will have the highest gas tax in the nation after an upcoming increase beginning July 1, according to figures by the Tax Foundation.

Beginning July 1, California’s gas tax will increase by nearly six cents. Currently, the tax is 55.2 cents per gallon. When the additional tax kicks in, that figure will jump to more than 60 cents in taxes per gallon.

Currently, the highest gas tax in the nation is in Pennsylvania at 58.7 cents.

RELATED: Newsom proposes plan to withhold gas tax funds from cities that don't meet housing requirements

SB1 was signed into law by then Governor Jerry Brown in 2017 and increased the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and registration fees by as much as $175.

In November of 2018, an effort to repeal the gas tax increase, Proposition 6, failed to pass in a statewide vote.

"The test of American strength is whether we defeat this stupid repeal measure which is nothing more than a Republican stunt to get a few of their losers returned to Congress," Brown said of the repeal effort at a 2018 event.

Those who support the taxes say they're estimated to generate $54 billion over a decade.