Every day, more Californians pack up their cars, load a UHaul, and head for the state line. Politicians in Sacramento pretend to be puzzled by this exodus—but the reason is obvious: Californians are simply too expensive to live in anymore.
And the culprit isn’t some invisible force. It’s the very politicians who claim to represent you.
This year, Sacramento is pushing SB 301, a new multibillion- dollar tax scheme disguised as an “environmental initiative.” The bill would raise gas prices, hike utility rates, and drive up the cost of almost every good and service you buy—all while doing little to actually improve the environment.
This comes on top of an $8 billion tax increase passed earlier this year under SB 840. Add it up, you’re paying more at the pump, more on your electric bill, and more every time you go to the grocery store.
Politicians claim these taxes target “big corporations.” That’s a lie. Big companies pass the costs directly to you, the consumer. Working families—not corporate boardrooms—are the ones footing the bill.
The result? A cost-of-living crisis that has Californians struggling to make ends meet while Sacramento sits on a massive budget surplus.
California doesn’t have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem. We don’t need higher taxes, we need smarter budgeting, honest oversight, and real accountability for waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs.
I’m leading the fight against SB 301 and other hidden tax hikes, but I need your help. Contact your representatives, share this with your neighbors, and demand that Sacramento stop punishing working families for its own mismanagement.
If we don’t fight back now, California will keep taxing people until there’s no one left to tax.
DeMaio represents District 75 in the California State Assembly.