HMM: Governor Brown’s Move To Hike California’s Gas Taxes Could Doom Dems As Elections Approach.

Republican Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Mimi Walters of California are using a very unpopular gas tax increase to generate excitement among GOP votes. Both Republicans want to put a measure on the ballot that repeals the increase. They believe the campaign could increase voter turnout and staunch a blue wave in the state.

“We pay one of the highest gasoline taxes in the nation,” Walters told reporters Saturday, according to The Hill. “By the time you get to 2021, we’re going to be paying $2 a gallon for gasoline just in taxes, and we can’t do that for working families who have to travel for their job.”

Recent polls show McCarthy and Walters’ gamble has a chance to pay off.

Plus:

The law, passed April 6, imposes a 12 cents per gallon (cpg) hike on citizens and raises the tax on diesel fuel by 20 cpg. It also implements an additional charge to annual vehicle license fees ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the car’s value.

California is one of the most heavily taxed states in the nation, but you wouldn’t know it from even a cursory glance at the state’s infrastructure.