SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) released the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s 2022-2023 revised state budget proposal:
“The governor is living in an election-year Fantasyland if he believes promises of debit cards and rebates in the Fall will provide relief NOW.
“Even the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office agrees with Republicans that suspending the gas tax would be the quickest way to give families immediate relief from soaring gas prices. The governor and Democratic leaders should take a page out of the Republican playbook and suspend the gas tax immediately.”
The governor announced a budget surplus of $97.5 billion, another historic figure. One of the governor’s proposals is to offer a $400 check to eligible registered car owners, and as media outlets have reported, struggling drivers may not get those rebates in their pocketbooks until late summer as gas prices climb today to $5.87 per gallon (Gasbuddy.com) in California.
Before the governor’s May Revise announcement, Leader Wilk and all members of the Senate Republican Caucus outlined a specific list of budget priorities. Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (Yucaipa) also released remarks in advance of today’s announcement. Watch or download Senator Ochoa Bogh’s reaction here. Spanish version here.
Click here to read the budget request letter. Included in the full list are:
- FULL Gas Tax Holiday – The state should immediately suspend the gas tax to reduce the cost of fuel for families suffering from record-high prices. The revenues should be backfilled by the General Fund so that transportation projects will not be impacted.
- Lower Costs for Renters – To help offset rising rental costs, California should increase the renter’s tax credit to $1,000 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of households, and surviving spouses. It should also include a $500 tax credit for other individuals to provide temporary assistance for one of California’s most significant problems.
- California Student Tax Credit – To assist students with the rising costs of housing, transportation, or other school expenses, California should offer up to several thousand dollars in student tax credits per year for eligible students.
- Address Mental Health and Substance Abuse Needs – The state should invest $10 billion to build the facilities needed to address the related crises of mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness.
- Invest in Water Storage – The state must invest the $2.6 billion necessary to fully fund the already voter-approved Sites Reservoir that will provide water storage for 1.5 million homes per year.
- Prepare for Wildfires – The state needs to remove the red tape and roadblocks stalling wildfire prevention and treatment projects.
Senator Wilk represents the 21st Senate District, which includes the Antelope, Santa Clarita and Victor valleys. Learn more about Scott by visiting his website and be sure to connect with him on social media.
