Dateline Sacramento — George Runner of the State Board of Equalization George Runner said today the California excise tax on gasoline will drop by 2.2 cents per gallon, beginning Friday.

This lowers the excise tax rate from 30 cents to 27.8 cents per gallon.

“Californians have another reason to celebrate during Independence Day weekend,” said Mr. Runner. “This gas tax rate cut comes right on time for hitting the road during the holiday.”

The Board of Equalization approved the 2.2 cent tax rate reduction at its February meeting. The 27.8 cent per gallon rate will remain in effect until June 30, 2017.

Even with the lower rate, Californians will continue to pay some of the highest gas taxes in the nation. According to the latest information from GasBuddy.com, California has the highest average gas price in the nation, beating Hawaii, Washington and Alaska for the top spot.

Additionally, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the state’s cap-and-trade auction has raised the price of gasoline by 11 cents per gallon and 13 cents per gallon of diesel.

Mr. Runner may be contacted at www.boe.ca.gov/Runner.