California Assembly Republican Caucus
SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Democrats stood with the Newsom administration and blocked legislation to prevent a new state mandate from driving up gas prices by as much as 65 cents per gallon. During the Assembly floor session, Republican lawmakers tried to advance Assembly Bill 12, which would repeal an update to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which is widely expected to drive California’s worst-in-the-nation gas prices even higher. Democrats rejected the effort on a party line vote.
“Assembly Democrats talked a big game about affordability this year, but when push comes to shove, they fall right in line with Newsom’s high-cost agenda,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (East Nicolaus). “Californians are tired of paying the highest prices in the country for just about everything, but they can’t count on Sacramento Democrats to provide any relief.”
Newsom’s “Hidden Gas Tax” increase was recently rejected by the state’s Office of Administrative Law because it lacked clarity and was adopted with an incorrect procedure, but Newsom’s bureaucrats have announced they intend to re-submit the mandate with minor changes.
“Californians continue to be burdened with the highest gas prices in the nation,” said Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (Indio), who moved to take up the bill that would overturn the new mandate. “It’s time we focus on lowering the cost of living, not adding to the financial strain.”
While Newsom claims to have won multiple “victories” against “gas price gouging,” California drivers currently pay $1.70 per gallon more than the national average. This California surcharge has increased 29 cents from when the governor “brought Big Oil to their knees” in March 2023 and is up 62 cents from when Newsom took office in January 2019.
###