Some California lawmakers are pushing for every resident to receive a $400 tax rebate for gas, amid inflation and soaring gasoline prices around the country.
By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy
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In a letter to the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) is asking to use a portion of the state’s budget surplus to send a rebate of $400 to every California taxpayer to help cover the increased cost of fuel and the general increase in the cost of goods and services
“We ask for this proposal to be included in the State Budget and considered as soon as possible,” she wrote in the letter she posted on Twitter.
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She added that this proposed $400 rebate would cover the current 51 cent-per-gallon gas tax for one full year of weekly fill-ups for a car with a 15-gallon gas tank.
“It is also important to note that we propose every taxpayer receive this rebate — including those who don’t own or drive a car. They too have seen their living expenses increase due at least in part to the increased cost of gasoline,” she said.
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As of March 17, the average price for regular gas in California went up to $5.77 a gallon, up from $4.94 a week ago, according to data from AAA.
Petrie-Norris said the state should not wait until the Legislature and Gov. Newsom agree on the entire state budget, which is traditionally completed in late June. “Our goal is to be able to do this in the spring, and all the folks here are going to be pushing really, really hard to make that happen,” Petrie-Norris reportedly said at a news conference, according to The Los Angeles Times.
