This morning, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) announced he requested an independent audit of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its secretive overhaul of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)—a regulation expected to raise gasoline prices by up to 65 cents per gallon when it takes effect on July 1. Click here to read the audit request.
At the same time, Leader Jones launched a statewide Change.org petition urging Governor Gavin Newsom to repeal the costly regulation and provide immediate relief at the pump.
“Californians are demanding answers and action before yet another hidden tax hits the pump,” said Leader Jones. “After nearly a month of stonewalling from the Newsom Administration, this audit is the only way to expose what they’re hiding. Meanwhile, thousands of Californians have already signed my petition to repeal the regulation entirely.”
The audit request follows Leader Jones’ Public Records Act (PRA) request filed on May 21 seeking all communications, economic projections, and briefing materials from CARB and Governor Gavin Newsom’s office regarding the LCFS. As of today, 28 days later, not a single record or document has been produced. The audit is a necessary next step to hold unelected regulators and the Newsom administration accountable for misleading the public on the true cost of their climate mandates.
In a letter to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC), Leader Jones cites contradictory statements from CARB officials about the LCFS price impact, including the agency’s withdrawal of its own estimate, originally showing per‑gallon increases beginning this year and climbing to more than a dollar by 2042. The audit request asks the State Auditor to determine whether CARB:
Uses sound methods when estimating economic impacts.
Meets legal transparency requirements.
Balances economic, equity, and environmental concerns appropriately.
Has concealed or downplayed costs that the public and decision-makers deserve to know.
“The public deserves to know whether CARB followed legal transparency requirements, whether they hid anything from the public, and whether they properly weighed economic and environmental impacts before pushing through this costly regulation,” Leader Jones added. “This audit will help uncover the truth and restore trust in the regulatory process.”
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee will consider Leader Jones’s request at its next hearing in August. If approved, the nonpartisan State Auditor will have full authority to examine CARB’s files and interview staff.
Background on California’s Highest in the Nation Gas Prices
A few weeks ago, Leader Jones forced a floor vote to repeal LCFS, but Senate Democrats voted unanimously to keep the price-hiking regulation in place.
CARB Chair Liane Randolph has admitted that the Board does not consider how its regulations affect prices at the pump, confirming growing concerns that Newsom’s climate agenda is blind to its economic consequences. CARB is comprised of a panel of wealthy unelected bureaucrats who are hand-picked and directed by the Governor.
Meanwhile, Californians are about to get hit again. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration announced that the state’s gas excise tax will increase to 61.2 cents per gallon on July 1, the same day that the new 65-cent LCFS regulations will take effect. That’s a one-two punch at the pump for working families already crushed by the cost of living. Rather than offering relief, Sacramento is doubling down on higher gas prices.
The consequences of constant regulatory overload are staggering. According to USC Professor Michael Mische, California gas prices could soar 75% to $8.43 per gallon by 2026, driven by refinery shutdowns and the state’s overreach with excessive regulation and taxation, including the updated LCFS.
Leader Jones has been a leading voice in the fight to repeal Governor Newsom’s 65-cent gas hike and lower fuel costs for Californians. He sounded the alarm early in an op-ed published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, exposing Newsom’s plan to raise gas prices and push drivers out of gas-powered cars and into electric vehicles. He also introduced Senate Bill 2, his legislation to repeal LCFS. Senate Democrats voted to block the bill, twice.