By North State Free Coast Syndicate Staff
On July 1st, California drivers will be hit with not one, but two separate increases at the pump — totaling more than a dollar per gallon in new costs for regular working people.
First, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will implement a 65-cent per gallon price hike under its controversial Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). This fee wasn’t passed by the Legislature or voted on by the people — it was handed down by an unelected board of political appointees. And when pressed, the chair of CARB admitted they didn’t even consider how the policy would impact gas prices.
Second, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is raising the state’s excise gas tax from 59.6 cents to 61.2 cents per gallon — an automatic increase tied to inflation. The same agency will also bump the diesel tax up to 46.6 cents per gallon.
Combined, these two hikes could push California’s total gas tax burden close to $2 per gallon — by far the highest in the country. And this doesn’t even account for price increases caused by compliance costs and pass-through fees on fuel producers and trucking companies.
While ordinary Californians brace for impact, Sacramento’s political class continues to look the other way. Lawmakers receive taxpayer-funded gas cards and state vehicles, insulating themselves from the pain they’re imposing on everyone else.
Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones attempted to repeal the 65-cent LCFS fee with Senate Bill 2, but the bill was killed in committee by the Democratic majority. As Jones noted, CARB’s refusal to weigh cost impacts is “a stunning level of arrogance and detachment from reality.”
Adding to public frustration is the CDTFA’s near-total silence on the gas tax. While its social media accounts celebrate Pride Month and warn citizens they may need a seller’s permit for garage sales, there’s been no straightforward public announcement of the July 1st gas tax increase. Transparency is nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, California gas already costs $1.50 more than the national average — and that gap is about to get worse. For a state that claims to lead on equity and justice, it’s the working-class driver, delivery worker, or single mom commuting to two jobs who’s going to pay the price.
This isn’t environmental leadership. It’s a tax scheme that punishes the people who can least afford it — while letting politicians dodge accountability and the pump.
July 1st is coming fast. And unless something changes, California drivers are about to feel the cost of government that no longer works for them.
