This morning, Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) forced a floor vote on Senate Bill 2, his legislation to repeal Governor Gavin Newsom’s 65-cent gas price hike. Senate Democrats unanimously voted to block the bill. Click here to watch the vote.
“I forced a Senate Floor vote to repeal Governor Newsom’s 65-cent gas price hike,” said Leader Jones. “Senate Democrats unanimously opposed it. They had a chance to stand with California drivers, but instead, they chose to defend the highest gas prices in the nation.”
SB 2 would have immediately halted the costly update to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania estimates will raise gas prices by up to 65 cents per gallon. The regulation was pushed through by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—a panel of wealthy unelected bureaucrats who are hand-picked and directed by the Governor.
Just last week, CARB Chair Liane Randolph 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.
“That admission is stunning,” continued Leader Jones. “CARB is making billion-dollar decisions that hit every family at the pump, and they’re doing it without even asking what it will cost. That level of arrogance and detachment from reality is exactly why we need SB 2.”
Meanwhile, Californians are about to get hit again. This morning, 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.
“Democrats love to talk about affordability until they actually have to vote on it,” Leader Jones added. “Senate Republicans will keep fighting to stop these reckless gas hikes and force real accountability from the Governor and his regulators.”
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.