Democrats are waging a war on driving.
They want to force Americans into public transportation.
And Gavin Newsom has one awful scheme to hit drivers where it hurts.
California Democrats push tracking device on every vehicle
California Democrats just introduced legislation that would let Sacramento track every single mile you drive.
Assembly Bill 1421 doesn't create a per-mile tax yet, but it sets the stage for government surveillance of your daily commute.
Democrat Assemblywoman Lori Wilson from Suisun City wants to extend California's "road user charge" pilot program through 2035.
The pilot program that wrapped up in January forced volunteer drivers to pay actual fees based on their mileage.
Now Democrats want to make this tracking scheme permanent.
The state monitors your driving through GPS devices, smartphone apps, or plug-in trackers.
Then Sacramento bills you per mile on top of taxing gasoline at the pump.
California drivers already pay 59 cents per gallon in gas taxes, the highest rate in the nation.
They want to track every trip you take to the grocery store, every drive to work, every weekend getaway.
The excuse Democrats use to justify Big Brother surveillance
Democrats claim they need this tracking system because electric vehicle sales are eating into gas tax revenue.
California mandates that 68% of new cars sold in 2030 be zero emission, jumping to 100% by 2035.
Sacramento forces Californians into electric vehicles, then complains the gas tax doesn't bring in enough money.
California State Representative Carl DeMaio broke down the math, and it's brutal.
"When you add up the car tax, the gas tax, and this new mileage tax for a family with two cars, a working family with two parents driving, they would have to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads," DeMaio said.
That's not a typo: $4,200 per year just to drive in California.
The typical California driver puts 15,000 miles on their car annually.
At the proposed rate of 6 to 9 cents per mile, that's $900 to $1,350 in new taxes every year — on top of existing gas and car taxes.
A pilot program volunteer who commutes from Hanford to Fresno five days a week would pay an extra $44 per month, or $528 per year.
And you know what happens with new taxes in California — they never go away, and they always go up.
Government tracking scheme threatens every driver's privacy
The privacy implications should terrify every American who values freedom.
Wayne Winegarden from the Pacific Research Institute nailed the problem: "I don't know how you implement it without being extensively intrusive."
"They're not talking about making toll roads, they're talking about tracking how many miles I drive and taxing me accordingly," Winegarden added.
Sacramento wants to know when you leave your house, where you go, and how long you stay.
Critics say Sacramento could use the tracking data to map out your entire daily routine.
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable government searches.
But California Democrats want every driver to hand over their location data — or face not being able to drive at all.
Hawaii already implemented a mandatory road usage charge for electric vehicles starting in 2025.
Oregon plans to force existing EV owners onto a per-mile fee system by 2027.
California is watching these pilot programs closely, preparing to roll out mandatory tracking statewide.
This isn't about lack of funds.
The state budget exploded from $179.5 billion in 2017 to $325 billion today, while gas tax collections jumped from $7.1 billion in 2021 to $7.9 billion in 2024.
Sacramento has the money — Democrats just want more control over how you live your life.
Making driving so expensive that working families give up their cars is the real goal.
Democrats envision packing everyone into cities, forcing them onto buses and trains while monitoring every movement.
California leads the nation in terrible ideas that eventually spread to blue states across America.
Joe Biden's infrastructure bill already set aside $125 million for federal vehicle miles traveled tax pilot programs.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg openly discussed replacing the gas tax with a national mileage tracking system.
If Democrats succeed in California, expect this surveillance scheme coming to a state near you.
Assembly Bill 1421 shows exactly what Democrats think of your privacy and freedom.
They want government bureaucrats tracking your every move while billing you for the privilege.
Sources:
- Madeline Shannon, "New bill would look into imposing per-mile tax on California drivers," The Center Square, February 7, 2026.
- ABC10, "California gas tax revenue declines: Pilot tests road charge for drivers," abc10.com, January 2025.
- Steven Greenhut, "Your Mileage May Vary on New Tax Proposal," R Street Institute, April 14, 2025.
- Katie Tubb, "California Proposes a Road Usage Tax," Institute for Energy Research, December 16, 2025.
- North County Pipeline, "Bill to extend road charge pilot moves forward," Substack, January 2026.
- Lauren Fix, "A tax per mile? Americans should not allow GPS tracking of cars, trucks," Fox News, January 6, 2015.
- Terrence P. Jeffrey, "Privacy and the Pavement: Should Government Track Your Miles?," The Daily Signal, April 12, 2021.
