California Senate Dems reject GOP last-ditch effort on state gas prices
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SENATE REJECTS BILL REPEALING LCFS CHANGES
The Democrat-led California Senate rejected Senate Bill 2, proposed by Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, to stop upcoming changes to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard on Wednesday.
The bill aimed to halt the implementation of the proposed updates to the LCFS regulation by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which would see investments towards cleaner fuel and transportation options as part of the state’s climate and clean air targets.
CARB submitted revisions to the Office of Administrative Law on May 16. If approved, the regulation could be effective as early as July 1.
Jones’ bill aimed to combat some of these amendments, which may result in a 65-cent per gallon increase in gas prices. He garnered citizen support in a petition with over 6,500 signatures.
SB 2 failed to pass in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee earlier this year in March. Jones attempted to force a floor vote in the Senate Wednesday morning, but it ultimately failed with 23 no votes from Senate Democrats.
“Californians can’t afford to keep paying for Democrats’ failed policies,” Jones said in an X post after the vote.
David Clegern, CARB public information officer, called the projected 65-cent increase “one version of misinformation,” in an email to The Bee on Wednesday.
“Independent experts have projected LCFS pass-through costs could range from as low as 5 cents per gallon to as high as 8 cents per gallon, much lower than widely reported projections that are as high as a dollar or more,” Clegern said, noting that the LCFS does not add directly to gas prices.
He added that any additional costs “would be from oil companies passing through the cost of complying with the regulation and they would decide how much, if any of that cost to pass through to consumers.”
If implemented, the LCFS changes will be coupled with an almost two-cent increase in California’s state gas tax, rising from 59.6 cents to 61.2 cents.
PADILLA BLOCKS ADDITIONAL EPA NOMINEES
Via David Lightman...
Sen. Alex Padilla, already blocking four Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency nominees from confirmation, added three more agency nominees to the list Wednesday.
The California Democrat objects to Republicans’ effort to overturn the state’s efforts to impose strict standards for vehicle emissions.
The Republican-led House and Senate voted to block the plans, as GOP lawmakers said the state policies needed to be stopped before they became national policy.
California was allowed by the Biden administration last year to try to lower vehicle emissions. Among the steps were to end the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.
Padilla had previously blocked four EPA nominees. He’s now expanding it, which should affect three other pending nominations at the moment.
Senators can put a “hold” on such nominees, making it difficult for them to become confirmed because it sets up a series of procedural hurdles, lengthening the process.
“The Trump Administration and the Republican majority plowed ahead with an unprecedented power grab at the expense of the health of millions of children and families in California and many other states,” Padilla said, adding, “this is unacceptable.”
The new nominees Padilla is holding up are John Busterud, of California, to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste; Usha-Maria Turner, of Oklahoma, to be an Assistant Administrator and Jeffrey Hall, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“In Donald Trump’s corrupt world, there’s no need for high-speed rail when you can accept a $400 million jet from a foreign government.”
— U.S. Senators for California Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff
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This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 4:55 AM.
