Court Refuses to Hear Car-Tax Rollback Suit

The California Supreme Court denied a petition Wednesday to hear a lawsuit intended to stop the $4-billion rollback in the state’s vehicle license fees.

The suit, which also sought to block $150 million in midyear budget cuts announced by the Schwarzenegger administration in December, was brought by plaintiffs led by the University of California Students Assn. and two civil rights groups.

The plaintiffs argued that the administration lacked the legal authority to impose the budgetary changes without the Legislature’s approval. The plaintiffs’ lawyers filed the case last month with the state Supreme Court in hopes of extracting a quick ruling. They still can file the case in Superior Court.