Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) called a special session of the state legislature to address gas prices and the oil industry, but the state Senate is not on board with the governor's plea.
Newsom called a special session Saturday, after lawmakers failed to pass his energy policy proposals he claims would help Californians at the gas pump. The governor's plan would have directed the California Energy Commission to require oil refineries to store more gas, which he claims would help lower gas prices, but some lawmakers and officials in the oil industry have pushed back against the measure being as effective as Newsom claims.
In the proclamation, Newsom called a special session at an unspecified time to "provide legislative partners more time to act on legislation," which he claims would prevent gas price spikes and save residents money on their energy bills.
"We look forward to working with our Legislative partners during the special session to act on this urgently needed legislation," Newsom said in a statement Saturday. "Calling the session now allows the Legislature to begin that work immediately so that the state can resolve this important matter to establish the necessary rules to prevent price spikes next year and beyond."
The regular legislative session for the year concluded Saturday evening, and the Democratic Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire made clear in a statement Saturday that the chamber will not be convening for a special session.
“We have all been working on this California Made and Clean Energy Package for months, and some of these proposals have been in discussions for the better part of a year," McGuire said. "The Senate always had the votes and was ready to get these important measures across the finish line this legislative year and deliver the relief Californians need at the pump and on their electricity bills.
"We won’t be convening a special session this fall, but we look forward to continuing conversations with the Governor and Speaker about this critical issue in the days and weeks to come."
Both the Assembly and the Senate in the Golden State have Democratic supermajorities, but only Assembly leadership has expressed a willingness to convene for the special session.
"Since my early days as a County Supervisor, I’ve been fighting against Big Oil," Democratic state Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said in a statement Saturday. "Companies can’t be allowed to rake-in billions of dollars in oil profits while hard-working Californians pay record prices at the pump. My absolute priority is lowering the cost of living, and I appreciate the Governor calling a special session to reign-in soaring gas prices."
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"While I respect the Pro Tem’s position, the Assembly is united," Rivas added. "We want the public to have a voice in this process, and that hasn’t happened yet. We need to get this right."
California has some of the highest gas prices in the country. The average price is $4.651 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, while the national average is $3.325 per gallon.
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