The Orange County Republican is pressing a cost-of-living message in Sacramento through fuel-tax legislation, housing reform, and broader efforts aimed at regulations that ripple from the pump to the checkout line.
State Sen. Tony Strickland is making affordability a central theme of his first year back in Sacramento, advancing legislation on gas prices and housing while tying California’s broader regulatory climate to the rising cost of everyday essentials.
On March 19, AAA listed California’s average price for regular gas at $5.616 per gallon, compared with a national average of $3.884, underscoring the pressure facing households across the state.
Strickland’s highest-profile affordability bill is SB 1035, the “Gas Tax Relief Act,” which would suspend the state gas tax, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and cap-and-trade fuel-related compliance costs for one year.
His office said the proposal would save drivers about $1.08 per gallon, and Strickland argued in announcing the bill that “Californians are being crushed by high gas prices and rising inflation.”
The official bill page shows SB 1035 was set for a March 18 hearing in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and legislative tracking records indicate it did not advance out of committee after a 2-2 vote, with reconsideration granted.
On housing, Strickland has introduced SB 979, which would allow cities and counties to challenge Regional Housing Needs Allocation determinations in court if they believe the numbers are arbitrary or unsupported by data.
In announcing the bill, Strickland said, “Local governments and the residents who live there know their communities best,” framing the measure as a way to inject more transparency and local input into state housing mandates.
Strickland has also pointed to a separate homeownership effort with former Democratic Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg. In a recent interview snippet posted online, Strickland said he is “working with former Speaker Bob Hertzberg” on a bond-based housing program.
That proposal, listed by the California Department of Justice as active initiative 25-0013A1, would create a loan program for middle-income buyers of qualified new homes.
State election records say the measure would authorize up to $25 billion in bonds to help eligible buyers finance up to 17 percent of a home’s purchase price, with buyers putting down at least 3 percent.
Bond Buyer reported this month that Hertzberg’s campaign submitted more than 900,000 signatures toward qualifying the measure for the November ballot.
