California Democrats devise plan to hike taxes By structuring them as fees, they would skirt GOP opponents and raise $9.3 billion. A court fight looms. By Jordan Rau and Evan Halper December 18, 2008 Reporting from Sacramento -- California's Democratic leaders were planning a vote today on a brazen proposal to raise gas, sales and income taxes through a series of legal maneuvers that would bypass the Legislature's minority Republicans. "[/B]