BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Next week, California voters will be deciding the future of everything from enshrining abortion rights to upholding a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco. One of the issues going before voters this year is Proposition 30, which aims to clean up California’s air and fund electric vehicle incentives.
Prop 30 would install a 1.75 percent tax on California residents whose personal incomes exceed $2 million dollars a year. The Legislative Analysts’ office estimates it would bring in around $3 to $4.5 billion dollars annually.
80 percent of the new revenue would be put towards electric vehicle incentives and the building of EV charging infrastructure. The remaining 20 percent would be spent on wildfire prevention.
If Prop 30 is passed, the tax would take effect in January 2023 and would expire in January 2043 or earlier, depending on if the states sees significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Proponents of Proposition 30 say it would create much-needed funding to tackle the top two causes of air pollution - gas-powered vehicles and wildfires. They say the money would accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and establish the charging infrastructure needed to support them.
People who support Prop 30 also say it would provide more resources to firefighters and that the investment would help the state meet its aggressive climate goals.
Those who oppose Proposition 30 argue that it’s an unnecessary tax hike in the midst of rising inflation that’s affecting everyone, and that it deters people who earn a high income from moving to or staying in California. Prop 30 opponents also argue that the proposition, which is largely funded by ridesharing company Lyft, benefits special interests and leaves residents, not rideshare companies, to fund the work to be in compliance with state EV standards.
Those who oppose Prop 30 say that the state already has enough funds with the budget surplus to support the current efforts to meet California’s climate change goals.
Read more about California’s 2022 ballot propositions:
- IN-DEPTH: California’s 2022 Ballot Propositions: Proposition 1
- IN-DEPTH: California’s 2022 Ballot Propositions: Proposition 28
- IN-DEPTH: California’s 2022 Ballot Propositions: Proposition 29
- IN-DEPTH: California’s 2022 Ballot Propositions: Proposition 31