Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday scored a political victory as a Senate committee passed during an ongoing special legislative session a bill designed to drive down the cost of gasoline, which sells for around $1.50 a gallon more than the national average. While it’s win for Newsom, the measure won’t do anything to reduce gas prices and might nudge them higher.
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If the Legislature had any self-awareness – or dignity, for that matter – it would have told Newsom to bring back this pointless legislation during a regular session. But the Assembly was willing to acquiesce to Newsom’s demand that members spend early fall in the Capitol rather than their districts during an election season.
Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, put up a good fight opposing this extra session, which Newsom called to deal with rising gasoline prices. But everyone in Sacramento should know the specific legislation the governor is pushing does more to boost his national political image than address any crisis. Extraordinary legislative sessions are for emergencies, not public relations.
McGuire at least scuttled Assembly Bill X2-9, per CalMatters. It would have empowered lawmakers and regulators to essentially expand the percentage of ethanol in the state’s gasoline blend to supposedly boost supply. McGuire said the bill needed more study, but we all know politicians are no better at micromanaging gas formulations than commissars were at dictating wheat harvests. Then again, some lawmakers pitched a state takeover of refineries, so one never does know.
However, the bill that the committee passed (AB X2-1) is just as nefarious and likely to worsen the situation. It requires refiners to expand reserves to protect against price shocks, but might actually increase prices because it’s costly to maintain large inventories. “What happens if a price spike never materializes – are Californians then stuck paying more year-round for no reason?” asked the Western States Petroleum Association. Fair question.
Bigger bureaucracies won’t push down fuel costs. Per the bill, current law “establishes the Independent Consumer Fuels Advisory Committee within the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission … to advise the Energy Commission and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight.” That’s a lot commissions, but this new measure will then force that alphabet soup to consult with the Labor and Workforce Development agency (and various “stakeholders”) to manage oil inventories.
So what is new. Power corrupts and corrupts absolutely.
The Socialist Communist Left understands this, and are intoxicated with being able to hammer anyone as long as they rob the treasury called the taxpayers wallet.
This is comprehensive dictatorship and getting worse. Just had another 30 year old hard working middle class tell me he is leaving the State of Kalif.
Every time I turn around another middle class working stiff has had it with the likes of Scotty, Slick French rest., Gregg Hart, and the rest…..and so goes the free society and increasing government choking off what we want.