California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas named 19 members to a Petroleum and Gasoline Supply Committee on Wednesday as lawmakers prepare for a special session on legislation to rein in gasoline price spikes.
Rivas tapped Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, chair of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee, to lead the new body. The committee makeup includes three Republicans — Vice Chair Jim Patterson and Assemblymembers Heath Flora and Joe Patterson — along with 16 Democrats including Petrie-Norris.
The other members are Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, David Alvarez, Steve Bennett, Laura Friedman, Eduardo Garcia, Mike Gipson, Gregg Hart, Corey Jackson, Alex Lee, Al Muratsuchi, Diane Papan, Gail Pellerin, Blanca Rubio, Jim Wood and Rick Chavez Zbur.
The Assembly has moved quickly to organize the special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday after Rivas pushed back on efforts from the administration and Senate to skip committee hearings and pass a bill, S.B. 950, authorizing the state to pass new regulations for gas refineries.
