Saturday, February 28, 2015

Special Privilege For Inefficient Energy Update: California bill would reduce sales tax on green cars

The L.A. Times reports:
The California Legislature is considering a bill that would cut the state sales tax on green cars by more than half in an effort to spur sales of clean vehicles.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), would reduce the sales tax on new clean vehicles to 3.06%, down from the current 7.5%. The reduction would apply to electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrids and compressed natural gas vehicles.

Ting's original bill stalled in 2013 primarily because of concerns over funding. But the legislator says the state's improved financial health and Gov. Jerry Brown's repeated calls for reductions in greenhouse gases and petroleum use have increased prospects for its passage.
Special privilege for the inefficient energy market. This really is rent-seeking gone wild.