California Governor Jerry Brown’s new 12-cent-per-gallon gas tax has pushed the Golden State’s gas prices to the highest in the nation after less than a week in effect.
As of Nov. 7, GasBuddy.com puts the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline at $3.231 in California, nearly 8 cents per gallon more expensive than the next-most-expensive state, Hawaii.
Left-leaning Politifact California notes that California’s rapid rise to the top spot fulfills the prediction of Republican George Runner, who serves on the State Board of Equalization, and who warned in April that the gas tax would make California’s gas the nation’s most expensive.
Politifact writes:
Republican George Runner predicted in April that California’s gas tax hike would catapult the Golden State’s already high fuel prices to the “highest in the nation,” after the increase went into effect on Nov. 1, 2017.
It appears his prediction was spot on.
…
A spokesman for Runner, who is a former state lawmaker and sits on the state’s Board of Equalization, told us by email: “We are saddened that George’s prediction was correct so soon.”
Politifact notes that there are other factors in California’s high price, such as a “mystery surcharge” of 20 cents per gallon that was applied after a refinery explosion in Southern California.
However, it notes that California surged past Hawaii on Nov. 3, a mere two days after the new gas tax went into effect.
Republicans are mustering their political forces to campaign for a referendum overturning the gas tax in 2018. They are also targeting freshman Democrat State Senator Josh Newman of Fullerton, who voted for the new tax and who will now face a recall election next year.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.