Bill Text: CA SR103 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to vehicle miles traveled tax.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-04-19 - Re-referred to Com. on T. & H. [SR103 Detail]
Download: California-2017-SR103-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Resolution | No. 103 |
| Introduced by Senators Wilk, Nguyen, and Vidak |
April 09, 2018 |
Relative to vehicle miles traveled tax.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 103, as introduced, Wilk.
Digest Key
Bill Text
WHEREAS, The California Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1 of the 2017–18 Regular Session (hereafter Senate Bill 1), which, among other things, increased the rate of state tax on motor vehicle fuel by $0.12 per gallon, increased the rate of state tax on diesel fuel by $0.20 per gallon, imposed an additional tax on a retailer of 4 percent of the gross receipts of the sale of all diesel fuel sold at retail in this state, imposed an additional tax on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of diesel fuel of 4 percent of the sales price of diesel fuel, imposed a new charge on certain vehicles in an amount correlated with the value of the vehicle, and imposed an additional registration charge of $100 on certain zero-emission vehicles; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1 imposed permanent new taxes and charges designed to raise $5.2 billion per year over the next 10 years to fund construction and road projects; and
WHEREAS, The 2018–19 state budget proposed by California’s Governor Brown projects a $7 billion surplus of discretionary funds which could go towards road infrastructure improvements; and
WHEREAS, If a vehicle miles traveled tax is imposed in California, the taxes and charges imposed by Senate Bill 1 should be repealed so that California residents are not paying higher taxes; and
WHEREAS, In accordance with the United States Constitution, Americans have freedom from warrantless searches. A government program tracking vehicle driven miles can be considered a warrantless search of a person’s private data; and
WHEREAS, Privacy issues regarding the tracking of vehicles is a concern to California residents and needs to be addressed should a vehicle miles traveled tax be imposed, such that only the final billing information should be released outside the unit to protect privacy; and
WHEREAS, It is unclear how it is logistically possible for millions of Californians to have their cars installed with new odometers, or something that can be used to track miles; and
WHEREAS, Tracking data of so many Californians will lead to increased bureaucracy, which will cost money from the state budget. This could take money away from other worthy state transportation improvement programs; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Census, 57 percent of the people living in the County of Los Angeles commute to work on a daily basis, which is 4.6 million people, out of an eligible workforce of 8 million people; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Census, 471,000 people from surrounding counties commuted into the County of Los Angeles alone; and
WHEREAS, Between 2010 and 2015, inclusive, the number of American super commuters, those with commutes of 90 minutes or more, has skyrocketed. There are 635,024 Californians who are considered super commuters, which is the highest of any state; and
WHEREAS, Not all of these Californians commuting are making high salaries. A vehicle miles traveled tax would impose a higher burden on those commuters since they pay a high cost for fuel to commute; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Legislature should not pursue legislation imposing a vehicle miles traveled tax on California drivers; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
