The California Legislature’s special session might be billed as another heavyweight fight between Democrats and the oil industry over gas prices, but it’s giving the state’s oft-overlooked Republicans their time to shine.
The Assembly’s Republican caucus has used the extended work time to introduce a wishlist of gasoline and energy policies, ranging in realism from far-fetched to fully capable of winning over consumer advocates and maybe even some environmentalists.
Why it matters: Regardless of whether any of their bills actually get a committee hearing, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to call the session on oil refineries and gas price spikes gives Republicans an opportunity to harp on one of their most potent talking points — that gas prices are too damn high — deep into election season.
“Our consultants are going to send @GavinNewsom a fruit basket as a thank you,” Jim Stanley, press secretary for Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher, wrote in a tweet accompanied by a GIF of a wildly smiling Jack Nicholson.
