Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – April 14, 2026
Indiana’s Governor Eric Braun suspended the 7% gas tax or rather “use tax” for the month of April. which will provide $50 million in savings for their drivers. They are not suspending the 36-cent per gallon state gas excise tax which will remain in place for road projects. My hat is off to that Governor.
But, but, but …. could such a thing happen in California? I doubt it with Governor Newsom.
But Wait! Congressman Kevin Kiley is proposing the following:
Then there’s Republican Huntington Beach State Senator Tony Strickland who earmarks all the agencies that tack on taxes connected to gas like the Air Resources Board. “Our drivers pay 42-cents-per-gallon tied to CLIMATE REGULATIONS.” I didn’t know that.
He introduced an Oversight Bill. These regulations the boards say are needed for cleaner fuel and lower emissions. However, opponents say these boards and agencies are unaccountable and just drive up costs.
California Republicans are also asking to pause the gas tax for 1 year with Assembly Bill 1745.
Don’t know about you but I’m not going to hold my breath that anything will be done. Seems to me it’s a waiting game. End the war in Iran. Produce more oil. And then we’ll see lower gas prices.
