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SACRAMENTO-

A proposal for state transportation officials to examine alternatives to California’s gas tax passed another legislative hurdle.

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier’s bill that seeks to raise more money for road repairs and construction passed the Assembly Transportation Committee on a vote of 10 to 2.

The state’s 18 cent per gallon gas tax hasn’t been increased in 24 years.  Inflation and more gas efficient cars means there is little money to keep up with repair demands.

“We’re $300 billion short on operations and maintenance needed for all of transportation infrastructure just for the next six years of this decade,” DeSaulnier said.

A controversial alternative is a tax based on mileage rather than on gallons of gas sold.  The people who are on the roads the most would pay more for repairs.  There have been mileage tax proposals at the federal level as well because the highway transportation fund is also dwindling as cars become more efficient and repair costs go up.

That would hurt drivers like Aili Gutierrez who is already struggling with gas prices.

“I am driving from here to Santa Rosa, Reno, all over. I’ll be paying a lot more,” Gutierrez said.

But a mileage based tax would capture tax money from owners of hybrid and all electric vehicles who stack up mileage on roads without paying much to repair them. Some people say that’s only fair.

“If I’m only driving two miles a week, why should I have to pay the same taxes as somebody driving 200 miles a week,” driver Sabah Mayfield said.

Others factors come into play. Businesses who are on the road a lot to deliver goods could pass on the cost to consumers. Many drivers have privacy concerns with using GPS devices to track their mileage like the state of Oregon is proposing.

DeSaulnier’s bill may examine other taxing options as well, like a straight fee on hybrid and electric vehicles, increasing DMV registration fees, and toll roads.

“I wouldn’t vote for a vehicle mileage tax right now, but we have to look at the fact that we’re very short of the necessary revenue to keep the infrastructure up to even modest standards,” said DeSaulnier.