This morning, Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) will force a floor vote on Senate Bill 2, his measure to repeal the Newsom Administration’s 65-cent gas price hike ahead of the planned July 1, 2025 implementation. If passed, the measure will halt the upcoming Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation changes approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last November.
WHAT:
Senate Floor Vote to Repeal Newsom’s 65-cent per gallon Gas Hike (Senate Bill 2)
WHO:
Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
10:00 AM (Start of Senate Floor Session)
WHERE:
California Senate Chamber, live-streamed HERE
WHY:
California drivers pay the highest gas prices in the nation, costing $1.62 more than the national average. Yet despite the growing burden on working families, unelected bureaucrats at CARB, who are hand-picked and directed by Governor Newsom, rammed through a costly regulatory update to LCFS last year.
A study published by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania warns that this regulatory update alone could raise gas prices by 65-cents per gallon.
Last week, CARB Chair Liane Randolph shockingly admitted that the Board does not evaluate how its regulations affect prices at the pump — confirming that Newsom’s regulators are ignoring the financial impact on Californians.
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.
Senate Bill 2, authored by Leader Jones, would immediately block the 65-cent gas hike and send a clear message that the state must reverse course on the policies driving California’s energy and affordability crises.
Despite bipartisan support, the bill was blocked in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in March. But, in light of CARB’s recent admission that it ignores the impact of its regulations at the pump, Leader Jones will move to force a full Senate vote on SB 2 this morning, giving every Senator the opportunity to stand with California drivers or defend higher gas prices.