BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The California Legislature adjourned it’s regular session Saturday, but not before Governor Gavin Newsom called for a special legislative session in order to pass new regulations on oil and gas.
- Newsom’s latest proposed set of bills call for oil refiners to maintain a minimum fuel reserve to avoid supply shortages.
- However, state lawmakers pushed back against the governor’s actions by stating more time was needed to assess the bills only recently unveiled.
The California Legislature adjourned it’s regular session Saturday, but not before Governor Gavin Newsom called for a special legislative session in order to pass new regulations on oil and gas.
Newsom’s latest proposed set of bills call for oil refiners to maintain a minimum fuel reserve to avoid supply shortages. However, state lawmakers pushed back against the governor’s actions by stating more time was needed to assess the bills only recently unveiled.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said in a statement, “If the Governor calls a special session, we’re going to do the work and deliver results. What I’m not going to do is push through bills that haven’t been sufficiently vetted with public hearings.”
Now members of congress are chiming in.
“This proposal will not only do damage in California, it will also do damage throughout the western United States," said Congressman Vince Fong. “If we’re going to be serious about having a debate on energy policies, Governor Newsom needs to look in the mirror and look at the consequences of his own policies.”
Fong was among the sixteen members of congress who signed a letter condemning the governor’s proposal.
“We’re right now in a real fight with the state of California especially when it comes to the Newsom administration," he said. "One, we have to end all the mandates that are stifling our refining capacity, we need to expand our refining capacity and allow for more gasoline to be produced.”
Governor Newsom claims his proposal is an attempt to get refineries to backfill supplies in order to avoid price hikes. However, Fong claims this will have the opposite effect — constricting gas supply, increasing prices, and result in an insufficient supply for the state as well as Arizona and Nevada."
“That oil production can be sent to Nevada, sent to Arizona, sent to other states," Fong said.
The Arizona State Senate also sent a letter to Governor Newsom’s office, claiming the state relies on California for over a third of it’s fuel supply.
The Western States Petroleum Association issued it’s response calling the proposed mandate “detrimental”.
“If we want to actually improve the economic health of our state, as well as our community, then let’s allow for more energy production. Not only will it generate revenue because we’ll actually have more product, but it actually will lower the cost of energy in our state," the WSPA statement said.
While the Assembly met Saturday the State Senate refused to. Though Newsom called for the special session it is unclear how long it will last. Meanwhile the governor has until the end of the month to sign any bills that make it to his desk.
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