California gas tax repeal campaign defies Jerry Brown with nearly 1 million signatures

California conservatives fired up the state’s latest tax revolt Monday by submitting nearly one million signatures Monday to repeal the recent tax increase on gasoline and diesel.

“Gov. Jerry Brown and his special-interest rent-seekers need to prepare themselves. We’re coming,” said Reform California chairman Carl DeMaio at a press conference in San Diego. “And we’re taking back our money.”

WOW - 940,000 signatures submitted today on the Gas Tax Repeal Initiative! Thank you to all who helped! Join us at https://t.co/p3ikhwNrqE #tcot pic.twitter.com/O9E8c2fJJU

— Carl DeMaio (@carldemaio) April 30, 2018

Organizers, including Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox, carried boxes containing petitions with nearly 950,000 signatures to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

As Chairman of the Gas Tax Repeal initiative I’m proud to be in San Diego today to begin our turn in of 940,000 petitions! #GOP @CAGOP pic.twitter.com/OWLBWrVwwN

— JohnHCox (@TheRealJohnHCox) April 30, 2018

That’s far more than the 585,407 valid signatures required to place the repeal for the November 2018 ballot. The Secretary of State must still validate the signatures.

Supporters of Senate Bill 1, signed last year by the Democrat Brown, argue that the tax hike tax increase is needed to fund repairs and improvements for the state’s deteriorating roads, highways and bridges, as well as mass-transit projects.

Here’s what that awful #gastax is doing for us in SLO County:https://t.co/fdFxYzV2lD

— Stephanie Finucane (@SLOTribOpEd) April 30, 2018

“Fighting the gas tax may appear to be good politics but it isn’t,” said Mr. Brown in his January State of the State address. “I will do everything in my power to defeat any repeal effort that gets on the ballot.”

The measure raises the per-gallon tax on gasoline by 12 cents and diesel by 20 cents, and also includes an increase in the vehicle-registration fee.

The tax hikes are expected to raise $5.4 billion per year, but foes argue that the Democrat-controlled state legislature habitually diverts funding for badly needed road repairs to other priorities.

Opponents include Democrats, labor unions and local governments, which have united behind Proposition 69, a June ballot initiative that would guarantee the tax increase would fund transportation by placing the revenue in a “lockbox.”