Judging by the initial reaction, Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to pay for road repairs with a mix of taxes, fees and cap-and-trade dollars did little to break a legislative impasse over transportation funding.
Brown gave the plan to Republicans on Thursday, but despite incorporating some of their proposals, the plan appeared unlikely to peel off Republican votes that would be required to boost taxes.
The minority party has vowed to reject tax increases given California’s brimming budget, and party leaders in the Senate and the Assembly released statements on Thursday saying Brown’s call for increased taxes and a road user fee made his plan unsupportable.
“Californians have paid enough,” Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen, R-Riverbank, said in a statement. “Funds exist to fix our roads. It’s up to the majority party to recognize this.”
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