An incredible 123 readers wrote in about the Make Elections Great Again Act — and the responses couldn't be more divided.

Some of you see federal standards as the only way forward. “Though I have been a small government conservative, some issues should not be left up to state and local governments to control," writes Karen L.

Andre V. shares from his experience in Nevada: “The Republican candidate for Senate led by 15% before mail-in ballots were counted, only to lose the race after the count. Sounds suspiciously corrupt... I have zero confidence in the current system.”

Others view federal intervention as dangerous overreach. “Allowing the federal government to override states’ rights is an extremely bad precedent to set,” cautions Bob J.

Chris G. adds: “The only reason GOP voters have lost confidence is due to the relentless lies from the Trump camp about the 2020 election.”

William R. offers a thoughtful middle ground: “Ideally, election reform should be done at the state level,” he says. “Failing such a miracle, federal reform is needed.”

Then there's Craig T., who points out what he sees happening in California: “They have ballot drop-off boxes in neighborhoods that have no cameras, security or lighting. What could go wrong?”

Which brings us, once again, to more Golden State insanity…

Your Rundown for Wednesday, February 4, 2026...

California’s Mileage Tax

They're calling it a “study.”

The California Assembly just advanced AB 1421, a bill that extends the state's road usage charge pilot program through 2035.

Last year’s pilot tracked participants through plug-in devices, smartphone GPS apps and photographed odometers. The program tests charging drivers 2.5 cents per mile instead of — or in addition to — the current gas tax.

Democrats like Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, the bill’s author, frame this as a fairness issue. The gas tax generates about $7.8 billion annually, but the California Transportation Commission projects losing $31 billion over the next decade as people switch to electric vehicles.

Someone needs to pay for the roads, and if EVs aren't paying at the pump, the thinking goes, track them by the mile instead.

Here’s what they’re not saying: The gas tax isn’t budging. At 61 cents per gallon (the highest in the nation), it already bleeds commuters dry.

Wilson promises to amend the bill to prevent “double taxation” — charging both the gas tax and the mileage fee. But there’s no language in the current bill that repeals the gas tax.

San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, whose county tested this program in 2022, has already done the math:

“When you add up the car tax, the gas tax and this new mileage tax for a family with two cars, a working family with two parents driving, they would have to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads,” DeMaio says.

And think about who gets hammered hardest: Rural and suburban workers who don’t — or can’t afford to — live near their jobs. Parents shuttling kids to school and activities.

Meanwhile, the wealthy compress their lives into walkable urban neighborhoods or work remotely. They rack up fewer miles. They pay less.

This is the California squeeze play in action. Push climate mandates that kill refineries and drive up gas prices. When people can’t afford gas anymore, dangle EVs as the solution.

Then, when gas tax revenue disappears (because you’ve successfully bullied people out of gas vehicles), track everyone’s mileage and extract the revenue anyway.

The working families who built California — the ones who commute, who hustle, who can’t telecommute from a home office — are the ones getting priced out. Not all at once. A few thousand dollars at a time.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, February 4, 2026

S&P 500 futures are up 0.15% to 6,950.

Oil’s up 0.25% to $63.40 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 2.85% to $5,075.30 per ounce.

Bitcoin’s down 0.55% to $75,600.