Much like much of the state’s traffic, the legislative special session on transportation/infrastructure is stuck in gridlock. Democratic legislators have a plan to provide $7.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The governor’s plan also includes tax increases. Republicans want to use current tax revenue more efficiently, cap and trade funds for roads or direct some of the road related monies like truck weight fees directly into road improvements. Neither side budges.
Could this gridlock be altered by the results of November’s elections?
If the Democrats secure the two-thirds majority that would allow them to raise taxes without Republican support, then its game over, right? The Democrats will pass a tax increase and the governor will sign it.
Not necessarily.
While many Democrats are happy to blame the Republicans for the gridlock over the special session because the GOP won’t okay taxes, the scolding Democrats conveniently overlook a good portion of their own caucus, which is wary of raising gasoline taxes on constituents.
Recall that the piece dropped from the controversial SB 350 last year had to do with cutting gasoline use, which in turn would have increased gas prices, something Democrats particularly representing poorer or inner valley areas of the state did not want to do. Raising gas taxes will also add to the cost of gasoline.
Given the demands of voters to relieve gridlock on roads, the advocacy of the business community to spark the economy with a better transportation system, and the support of labor forces to get good construction jobs, you would think a compromise would be attainable.
But environmentalists and public unions don’t want to give on CEQA reform or restructuring CalTrans as some Republicans have suggested, and Republican legislators are concerned about a backlash if they raise taxes.
In the meantime, there are discussions about the possibility of a ballot initiative backed by the business community modeled after the school-funding plan, Proposition 98, which would dedicate money to transportation infrastructure and the roads.
If nothing comes out of the special session soon, other forces could attempt to deal with this crucial issue.
