California's Gas Tax Just Increased Again

CALIFORNIA — Drivers, beware: the gas tax in California rose by 3.2 cents Wednesday, bringing the tax to 50.5 cents per gallon. But there's an upside.

The automatic increase, triggered by the 2017 law Senate Bill 1, raises the tax to match increases in the consumer price index. That's why California's gas tax rose by 5.6 cents last year and 12 cents in 2017, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Those taxes, however, go toward funding highway maintenance, with this year's increase expected to fund about $7 billion in repairs, according to the Times.

Studies show that California ranks near the bottom of all U.S. states by how much it spends fixing its highways.

Meanwhile, the state also rolled out a new $100 fee Wednesday for electric cars which will help pay for bridge and road work.