California: Taxing Times in the Sanctuary State

Abstract

California passed a fairly uncontentious 2017‒2018 budget as the state focused more onPresident Donald Trump, and on Governor Jerry Brown's ultimately successful attempt to corralthe state legislature into passing a new gas tax. Legislative Democrats specifically targetedTrump's immigration policies, focusing on a bill that would make California a "sanctuary state."Meanwhile, Brown worked diligently to marshal support for the new tax, which required a twothirdssupermajority vote. Even with a largely unified Republican opposition, Democrats heldtogether their legislative supermajority won in 2016 and approved a rare tax increase in theGolden State. They followed it by passing the budget, as well as an extension of California'scap-and-trade system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively, DemocraticCalifornia has positioned itself in diametric opposition to a Republican Trump Administration.