{
    "byline": "Damien Newton",
    "charset": "UTF-8",
    "dir": null,
    "excerpt": "In early 2026, California\u2019s plan to explore replacing its long-standing gas tax with a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee ignited a firestorm of public debate and online outrage. Headlines and social media feeds on the conservative right lit up with claims that the state was on the verge of imposing a new \u201cmileage tax\u201d that would charge drivers per mile driven \u2014 sparking fears of higher costs for commuters and grumbling about government overreach.",
    "lang": null,
    "length": 7875,
    "publishedTime": null,
    "siteName": null,
    "title": "Another Conspiracy Theory, This One Around a Vehicle Miles Tax, Comes to California"
}