This week, the Senate Governance and Finance Committee approved Senate Bill 1 (Beall) – a proposal to better fund the existing state and local transportation systems. Passage of SB 1 in the Governance and Finance Committee concludes a review of the measure by three policy committees in the State Senate. The measure now awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations in the coming weeks.
A similar proposal in the State Assembly – Assembly Bill 1 (Frazier) – has yet to be slated for review. Both measures would enact significant tax increases on motor fuels, as well as impose new/additional fees on motorists, in order to address the existing maintenance backlog on existing roads, streets, and highways. In SB 1’s procession through the Senate’s committee review process the bill has garnered no Republican member votes, and a handful of Democrat members expressed concerns. Passage of SB 1 requires a 2/3rds vote in both houses of the Legislature.
The RCRC Board of Directors will be discussing SB1 and AB 1 at the March 15, 2017 meeting in Sacramento.