SAN DIEGO - Vehicle owners in San Diego and across California would receive $400 debit cards from the state under a proposal unveiled today by Gov. Gavin Newsom in an effort to provide relief from skyrocketing gas prices.
Under Newsom's proposal, Californians would receive a $400 debit for each registered vehicle they own, with a limit of two. According to the governor's office, the average motorist pays about $300 in gasoline excise taxes each year.
The rebate program will cost a total of $9 billion. Newsom also proposed $2 billion in other measures:
-- $750 million to provide grants to transit agencies to offer free rides for three months;
-- $600 million to pause a portion of the sales tax on diesel fuel for a year; and
-- $523 million to pause inflation adjustments to gas and dies
