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WEBVTT IMPROVEMENT NEEDS.IT'D BE PAID FOR WITH ANINCREASED GAS TAX AND HIGHERVEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES.THERE'S A DRIVING FORCE AT THECAPITOL TO FIX THE STATE'SROADS, BRIDGES AND TRANSITSYSTEMS. >> GO OUT AND JUST SEE WHAT'SGOING ON OUT THERE AND YOU CANSEE IT.IS IT ADEQUATE?NO.MAX: SENATOR JIM BEALL, THEDEMOCRAT FROM SAN JOSE, HOPES TOCHANGE THAT WITH SENATE BILLONE.>> THIS IS BASIC ROAD REPAIRS.THE MONEY THAT WE'RE PROPOSINGWILL ONLY BE SPENT ON ROADREPAIRS.MAX: THAT MONEY WOULD COME FROMCALIFORNIA DRIVERS THROUGHHIGHER TAXES AND VEHICLEREGISTRATION FEES, MET WITHMIXED REVIEWS BY SACRAMENTANS WESPOKE WITH TODAY.>> IT'S A LITTLE SACRIFICE FORSOME GAS, YOU KNOW, LITTLE BITMORE EXPENSIVE GAS.BUT OVERALL IN THE END, AT LEASTWE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ROADSDONE.MAX: HERE'S HOW IT BREAKS DOWN.$0.12 IN NEW GAS TAXES SPREADOUT OVER THREE YEARS, THE FIRSTINCREASE OF ITS KIND IN 23YEARS.A $0.20 PER GALLON INCREASE INTHE DIESEL FUEL EXCISE TAX, AND AN INCREASE IN THE DIESELSALES TAX BY 4%.>> I LIVE IN ROSEVILLE, AND IHAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY OUTHERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.SO IT'S LIKE, AND THEN THEY'REGOING TO RAISE THE GAS PRICES.IT'S KIND OF INCONVENIENT FORME.MAX: $38 MORE FOR YOUR VEHICLEREGISTRATION FEE, AND A $100YEARLY FEE FOR ZERO-EMISSIONVEHICLES.ALL OF THIS WOULD CREATE $6BILLION A YEAR TO IMPROVE ROADS,BRIDGES AND TRANSIT SYSTEMS, ANDAN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERALWOULD OVERSEE HOW THE MONEY ISSPENT.>> WE HOPE TO MAKE CALTRANS AMORE EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION ANDBY DOING SO, WE WILL USE THESAVINGS FOR MORE ROAD REPAIRS.SO, THAT'S THE GOAL OF THISBILL.MAX: THE BILL FACED ONLY ONEOPPONENT WHEN IT WENT UP FOR ACOMMITTEE VOTE AT THE CAPITOLTODAY, SENATOR JOHN MOORLACH, AREPUBLICAN FROM COSTA MESA.>> I THINK WE AGREE ONEVERYTHING.THE ISSUE IS WHO BEARS THE BRUNTAND WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TOADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.MAX: MOORLACH SAYS SENATE BILLONE PUTS TOO MUCH OF A BURDEN ONCALIFORNIA'S POOR.>> THEY'RE HURTING THOSE AT THEPOVERTY LEVEL OR BELOW, WHICH ISRIGHT NOW THE HIGHEST OF ANYSTATE IN THE NATION.MAX: BUT, HE DOES THINK ZEROEMISSION DRIVERS NEED TO PAYMORE.>> WE'VE GOT A STATE THAT HASSAID WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE THEACQUISITION OF ELECTRIC CARS.OH, AND BY THE WAY, WE FUND OURROADS THROUGH GAS TAXES.SO, AGAIN, THERE'S THISDISCONNECT.MAX: THE STATE FACES A 10-YEAR,$59 BILLION MAINTENANCESHORTFALL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTSFACE AN EVEN BIGGER SHORTFALL,

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California’s Senate Bill 1, which is aimed at improving the state’s transportation infrastructure, easily cleared the state Senate’s Governance and Finance Committee by a 5-1 vote Wednesday. If passed, SB1 would generate an estimated $6 billion annually for the state’s roads, bridges and transit systems. FAST FACTS: SB1 clears Senate Governance and Finance CommitteeSB1 would raise the gas tax, diesel tax and vehicle registration fees to pay for infrastructure improvementsIncrease in the gas tax would be the first of its kind in 23 years The money would be split down the middle between state and local agencies for maintenance and repairs. Money raised by SB1 would help tackle the state’s 10-year, $59 billion maintenance shortfall and local governments' $78 billion shortfall for roads, bridges and highways. Here’s how the bill aims to pay for infrastructure improvements: Increase the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon over three years, with a 6-cent increase in the first year followed by two years of 3-cent increasesIncrease the diesel fuel excise tax by 20 cents and increase the diesel sales tax by 4 percentIncrease vehicle registration fees by $38Require drivers of zero-emission vehicles to pay an annual $100 fee toward maintenance and repair “We hope to make Caltrans a more efficient organization and by doing so, we will use the savings for more road repairs,” SB1 author Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, said. “So, that's the goal of this bill.” If SB1 makes it to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk in its current form, the gas tax would increase for the first time since 1994. “You’re actually paying less taxes now in gasoline taxes than you did in 1994 because the economy of the average car – fuel economy – is better,” Beall said. “If you use less gasoline, you’re paying less taxes.” Beall said the state’s increase in population and cost of living make the current budget for road repairs unsustainable. The lone voice of opposition in committee on Wednesday came from Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, who argues the bill places too much of a burden on the state’s poor. “They're hurting those at the poverty level or below, which is right now the highest of any state in the nation,” Moorlach said. However, Moorlach and Beall do share common ground. Both believe zero-emission drivers need to pay some sort of fee because they’re able to use state and local highways and roads without contributing to their maintenance through the funds collected from a gas tax. However, Moorlach said the Democrat-controlled legislature is missing the bigger picture. “We've got a state that has said, ‘We want to incentivize the acquisition of electric cars. Oh, and by the way, we fund our roads through gas taxes,'’’ he said. “So, again, there's this disconnect, where Jerry Brown is incentivizing one, penalizing the other.” The bill heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee next. If it passes there, it would then head to the Senate floor.