Last night, the Kevin McCarthy-pushed gas tax repeal ballot initiative went down in flames, while also failing to save the backsides of Diane Harkey, Dana Rohrabacher, and Steve Knight.
Republican Carl DeMaio is too sexy for this ballot initiative title.
But word is Carl DeMaio, the public face of the initiative, is refusing to let it go and is now threatening to “recall” Attorney General Xavier Becerra over the titling of the initiative.
The full wording of the initiative was “Eliminates Recently Enacted Road Repair and Transportation Funding by Repealing Revenues Dedicated For Those Purposes. Requires Any Measure to Enact Certain Vehicle Fuel Taxes and Vehicle Fees Be Submitted to and Approved By the Electorate. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.” Becerra amended it twice before it went on the ballot to address legal concerns raised.
De Maio presumably wants Becerra recalled because he wouldn’t just straight up title it “Repeal The Gas Tax.” That is despite the fact that that would have been an inaccurate title, since only the gas tax increase would have been repealed by it. (But hey, DeMaio is right that it’s catchier.)
Will DeMaio get his way? Probably not. But he’s got to keep his hand in the political game, and this is another way of accomplishing that.
