Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 339 into law, approving an extended road usage charge (RUC) pilot program through Jan. 1, 2027 that tracks California drivers and charges them a tax according to their vehicle miles traveled. Sponsored by Transportation California, the bill was authored by State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and supported by the California Transportation Commission. Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), and Senators Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) co-authored the legislation. The passage is a victory for legislators in favor of public policies focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting Newsom’s ban on combustion engine vehicles by 2035. The move could generate an alternative revenue stream to combat shrinking gas taxes in order to fund California’s infrastructure, as drivers make the transition to hybrid and electric fuel-efficient vehicles. “With many drivers—particularly wealthier drivers—switching to electric vehicles, and with Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order banning the sale of new internal …