$8-a-gallon gas? Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones requests audit of CARB’s gas price-hiking

A Union gas pump in San Diego FILE Staff photo On Tuesday Senate Minority Leader Brian W Jones R-San Diego broadcasted that he has formally requested an independent audit of the California Air Support Board over its opaque overhaul of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard a regulation set to raise gasoline prices by as much as cents per gallon starting July At the same time Leader Jones launched a statewide Change org petition urging Gov Gavin Newsom to repeal the regulation and provide immediate relief at the pump Californians are demanding answers and action before yet another hidden tax hits the pump Jones noted After nearly a month of stonewalling from the Newsom Administration this audit is the only way to expose what they re hiding Meanwhile thousands of Californians have already signed my petition to repeal the regulation entirely The audit request follows a Inhabitants Records Act request Leader Jones submitted on May seeking all communications economic projections and briefing materials from CARB and Newsom s office related to the LCFS As of Tuesday days later no records or documents have been distributed Jones commented the audit is the necessary next step to hold unelected regulators and the administration accountable for obscuring the true cost of their atmosphere policies In his letter to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee Jones cited conflicting statements from CARB about the LCFS s expected price impact The agency initially projected per-gallon price increases beginning this year rising to over by before retracting those estimates Jones s audit request asks the State Auditor to examine whether CARB Uses sound methods in estimating economic impacts Meets legal transparency requirements Appropriately balances economic equity and environmental concerns and Has concealed or downplayed relevant cost input from the population and lawmakers The constituents deserves to know whether CARB followed legal transparency requirements whether they hid anything from the population and whether they properly weighed economic and environmental impacts before pushing through this costly regulation Jones disclosed This audit will help uncover the truth and restore trust in the regulatory process JLAC is scheduled to consider the audit request at its next hearing in August If approved the State Auditor will have full access to CARB s internal files and staff interviews Background California Gas Prices and LCFS Earlier this year Jones forced a Senate floor vote to repeal LCFS All Senate Democrats voted to keep the regulation in place CARB Chair Liane Randolph has acknowledged that the Board does not factor in the impact of its rules on gasoline prices reinforcing concerns that the state s setting agenda ignores economic consequences CARB s board is made up of unelected appointees selected by the Governor On July Californians face a dual hit a scheduled increase in the state s gas excise tax to cents per gallon and the new LCFS rules projected to add up to cents more per gallon USC Professor Michael Mische has warned that California gas prices could surge by reaching per gallon by due to refinery closures and overregulation including the revised LCFS Jones has been a vocal opponent of Newsom s gas price increases He outlined his concerns in a San Diego Union-Tribune op-ed and introduced Senate Bill to repeal LCFS The bill was blocked by Senate Democrats twice