Gov. Gavin Newsom has been fighting for more than a year with Republicans and members of his own party about whether his fuel standards will raise gas prices for Californians.
Turns out, they already have. But no one noticed.
The rules that went into effect July 1 requiring companies to lower the carbon content of their transportation fuels marked an occasion to renew hostilities. President Donald Trump contrasted California’s prices with the rest of the country’s. (“All they do is they keep adding taxes. Terrible governor, doesn’t know what he’s doing.”)
A state Republican lawmaker launched a petition to “repeal Gov. Newsom’s 65-cent gas price hike,” and a gubernatorial candidate held a press conference at a gas station to propose repealing the rules. Even Democrats couldn’t resist introducing a bill to freeze prices under the program, which sets a steadily tightening emissions limit and lets producers buy and sell credits to meet it.
