Californians passed up two chances to lower taxes, voting to keep higher gasoline taxes and reject a proposed tax break for older homeowners in moves that experts said could highlight a greater tolerance for taxes even as many state residents bemoan the high cost of living.

Voters on Tuesday rejected Proposition 6, a Republican-backed proposal to repeal increases in fuel taxes and vehicle fees that are funding $52 billion in road fixes and transit upgrades over a decade.

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“Of course it was controversial, and people still argued maybe it was the wrong thing to do, but if we look at the politics of it, I think it was widely seen to solve a problem,” said Joseph Bankman, a professor at Stanford Law School who researches tax law.