The California Assembly on Jan. 29 advanced a bill that would expand a state study on replacing the gas tax with a mileage-based fee for road maintenance, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans who called it a step toward imposing costly new taxes on drivers already facing high fuel costs.
Assembly Bill 1421, authored by Assembly Member Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City, passed the chamber’s Transportation Committee on a mostly party-line vote. The measure would direct the California Transportation Commission to consolidate research and submit recommendations to lawmakers by 2027, including ways to address equity for low-income drivers with long commutes.
