Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Prime Minister of Yemen’s Houthi Government Killed in Israeli Strike

3 days ago

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Law Redrawing Congressional Maps

4 days ago

US Air Force will Offer Military Funeral Honors to Slain Capitol Rioter

4 days ago

US Republican Senator Joni Ernst Will Not Run for Re-Election, CBS News Reports

4 days ago

Wall Street Falls as Dell, Nvidia Drive Tech Losses

4 days ago

US Denies Visas to Palestinian Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly

4 days ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

5 days ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

5 days ago

Fresno-Bound Passenger Says Delta Attendant Slapped Him, Seeks $20M

5 days ago
Steaming Mad Conservatives Talk Recall of AG Becerra
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 7 years ago on
November 1, 2018

Share

SACRAMENTO — A conservative San Diego radio host who is a driving force behind an initiative to repeal recent gas tax increases said this week that he’ll seek to recall California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra if the measure fails.

The effort by Carl DeMaio would ensure the gas tax remains a political fight long after the voters decide Proposition 6 next week. Opposition to the higher gas taxes and vehicle registration fees passed last year by state lawmakers has been a central message for Republicans, who have struggled in an increasingly Democratic state.

DeMaio: Becerra Deceived Voters

DeMaio said Becerra deceived voters by writing a ballot title that doesn’t clearly explain that Proposition 6 would reduce gas taxes. Becerra’s ballot title — the official summary that describes the initiative — focuses on the elimination of road repair funding, consistent with the messaging used by the initiative’s opponents.

“This ain’t over on Election Day if they steal the election. We’ve only just begun.” — Carl DeMaio

“This ain’t over on Election Day if they steal the election,” DeMaio told reporters Monday in front of the state Capitol. “We’ve only just begun.”

Becerra, a Democrat, said courts sided with him on another gas-tax repeal measure that had a similar ballot title but did not qualify. DeMaio said he didn’t sue over his measure because he knew he wouldn’t win.

“I’m doing my job,” Becerra said. “I’m not going to stop.”

Becerra Is Expected to Retain AG Post

Becerra is favored to win in next week’s election over Republican Steven Bailey, a retired judge.

Republicans have latched onto the gas tax as a salient issue that appeals across the political divide at a time when Democrats are hyper-motivated by opposition to President Donald Trump. GOP officials fear a swarm of Trump opponents going to the polls could challenge their candidates for Congress and the state Legislature.

DeMaio is a former San Diego city councilman and a vocal champion for conservative issues. The recall would keep his name in the news and engage conservatives despite repeated losses at the ballot box, said Bill Whalen, a Hoover Institution research fellow and speechwriter for former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

Photo of Carl DeMaio at a Stop the Gas Tax Rally
GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox, left, and Carl DeMaio, center, support Proposition 6, which would repeal the gas tax hikes. (Capital Media Partners Photo)

“You need to find a way to keep your side in the game, to keep them motivated,” Whalen said. “Perhaps this recall is one way to do that.”

With Democrats in control of California’s government, the only way for conservatives to advance their ideals or block liberal ones is through the initiative process, so accusations of game-playing will resonate, Whalen said.

“I’m doing my job. I’m not going to stop.” — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra

The gas-tax repeal effort was put on the ballot with money largely from the state’s Republican members of the U.S. House, who hoped it would gin up enthusiasm among conservatives.

Cox Champions Gas Tax Repeal

John Cox, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, is chairman of the repeal campaign and has made opposition to the gas tax a central part of his message.

DeMaio, backed by the state GOP, put the gas tax at the center of a successful recall of Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman, who voted for the tax hike and represented a district that historically elected Republicans.

Democratic enthusiasm will likely be an even bigger challenge for Republicans during the 2020 presidential election.

DeMaio Also Wants High-Speed Rail on 2020 Ballot

DeMaio announced in September that he’ll pursue a 2020 ballot measure that would eliminate the state’s high-speed rail project and change the Constitution to require all fees related to transportation — from the gas tax to taxes on vehicle sales and car insurance — be spent only on transportation-related projects.

He also hinted Monday at going after vulnerable Democratic state senators, repeating the strategy that recalled Newman.

Supporters of the tax increases say they’re providing $5 billion a year for badly needed road and bridge repairs.

Repeal supporters have been fuming for more than a year about Becerra’s ballot title. Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach sued Becerra over a similar ballot title on a separate, failed gas tax repeal initiative that Allen proposed. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge sided with Allen but the ruling was overturned on appeal.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Nab 11 DUI Suspects During Saturation Enforcement

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Make DUI Arrest During Weekend Saturation Patrol

DON'T MISS

US Issues Iran-Related Sanctions on Network of Shipping Companies, Vessels

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Hits Over One-Week Low on Tariff Uncertainty, Data in Focus

DON'T MISS

US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Use of Troops in Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Thousands of Israeli Reservists Report for Duty, as Military Chief Clashes With Ministers

DON'T MISS

Vogue Appoints Chloe Malle to Succeed Anna Wintour as US Editorial Head

DON'T MISS

Garnet Fire in Fresno County Grows to 26,982 Acres, 12% Contained

DON'T MISS

US Construction Spending Dips in July

DON'T MISS

New Quake of Magnitude 5.5 Shakes Devastated Afghan Region as Death Toll Exceeds 1,400

UP NEXT

Classic Cars Will Still Need a Smog Test in California After Lawmakers Reject Jay Leno Bill

UP NEXT

Dollar Trades Lower With Fed Cut In View, On Course For Monthly Drop

UP NEXT

California Schools Reverse Truancy Trends. Improving Reading Scores Could Be Next

UP NEXT

High-Speed Rail Hits a New Snag as Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Expedite Construction

UP NEXT

Lawsuit Links CA Teen’s Suicide To Artificial Intelligence

UP NEXT

Hearing Ends Without Ruling On Trump’s Firing Of Fed Governor Cook

UP NEXT

Gov. Newsom Launches New Task Force To Clear CA Homeless Encampments

UP NEXT

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Law Redrawing Congressional Maps

UP NEXT

Fresno vs. Clovis: Which City Is Cheaper to Live in Right Now?

UP NEXT

Kim Harvey Named Executive Producer of ‘CBS Evening News’

Wall Street Hits Over One-Week Low on Tariff Uncertainty, Data in Focus

1 hour ago

US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Use of Troops in Los Angeles

2 hours ago

Thousands of Israeli Reservists Report for Duty, as Military Chief Clashes With Ministers

2 hours ago

Vogue Appoints Chloe Malle to Succeed Anna Wintour as US Editorial Head

2 hours ago

Garnet Fire in Fresno County Grows to 26,982 Acres, 12% Contained

2 hours ago

US Construction Spending Dips in July

2 hours ago

New Quake of Magnitude 5.5 Shakes Devastated Afghan Region as Death Toll Exceeds 1,400

2 hours ago

Trump Set to Move Space Command Headquarters to Alabama From Colorado, Sources Say

2 hours ago

Tulare County Authorities Investigate Porterville Shooting

15 hours ago

Trump’s World Liberty Token Falls in First Day of Trading

15 hours ago

Fresno Police Nab 11 DUI Suspects During Saturation Enforcement

Fresno police arrested 11 people on Saturday through a DUI enforcement operation. Police held the checkpoint at Cedar and Gettysburg avenues...

17 seconds ago

17 seconds ago

Fresno Police Nab 11 DUI Suspects During Saturation Enforcement

1 hour ago

Clovis Police Make DUI Arrest During Weekend Saturation Patrol

United States Department of the Treasury logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

US Issues Iran-Related Sanctions on Network of Shipping Companies, Vessels

A view shows the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Wall Street entrance in New York City, U.S., April 7, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Wall Street Hits Over One-Week Low on Tariff Uncertainty, Data in Focus

National Guard troops wear gas masks during protests against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Use of Troops in Los Angeles

An Israeli soldier stands on top of a military vehicle at the Israel-Gaza border, as seen from Israel, August 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Thousands of Israeli Reservists Report for Duty, as Military Chief Clashes With Ministers

Anna Wintour attends opening remarks during a press preview of The Costume Institute's exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, U.S., May 5, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Vogue Appoints Chloe Malle to Succeed Anna Wintour as US Editorial Head

A lightning-sparked wildfire in the Sierra National Forest has burned 24,851 acres and is 12% contained, prompting evacuation orders for several zones in Fresno County as more than 1,470 firefighters work to contain the blaze amid thunderstorm threats, officials said Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (U.S. Forest Service)
2 hours ago

Garnet Fire in Fresno County Grows to 26,982 Acres, 12% Contained

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend