By SDCN Staff
Sacramento, CA–The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to pause its proposed increase in gas prices through an amendment to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard fee, following significant public and legislative pushback.
Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) praised Californians for their role in opposing the measure.
“Families across the state are already struggling with rising living costs, and a gas price increase of 65 cents or more would have only worsened their financial burden,” said Senator Ochoa Bogh, Vice Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. “It is frustrating that the governor’s administration initially ignored calls for reconsideration. However, I commend the thousands of Californians who stood with Republican lawmakers in fighting against this harmful hike.”
Ahead of the vote, Republican senators submitted 13,000 petition signatures urging CARB to delay the decision and conduct a new cost-benefit analysis. This followed a formal letter from Senate and Assembly Republicans demanding full transparency regarding the proposal’s financial impact.
As of February 19, AAA reported California’s average gas price at $4.85 per gallon—significantly higher than the national average of $3.16.
Calling the proposed fee “price gouging at the pump,” Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) encouraged public opposition to the measure. He highlighted the pressure from Californians and lawmakers as a key factor in CARB’s decision, which came during a late Friday vote shortly after the election.
“The Newsom Administration’s 65-cent gas price hike has been paused by California’s Office of Administrative Law because it failed to meet legal requirements,” said Leader Jones. “The unfair regulation did not properly inform Californians of its true impact. Newsom’s goal has always been to drive up gas prices so high that people are forced into costly electric vehicles. We’ve been fighting this from the beginning, and we won’t stop now. While this pause is a temporary victory, CARB has 120 days to revise and resubmit the proposal. Our Senate Bill 2 will protect Californians by repealing the gas price hike and holding this administration accountable.”
On the first day of the new legislative session in December, Leader Jones and all Senate Republicans introduced Senate Bill 2, aiming to repeal the regulation and permanently block the proposed gas price increase.
