Newsom tackles rising gas prices, but will he win? + Donald Trump is coming to Nevada

Andrew Sheeler
·4 min read

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

NEWSOM ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO TRY AND ADDRESS SKY-HIGH GAS PRICES

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday took a break from signing and vetoing bills to announce new efforts to get the state’s skyrocketing gas prices under control.

One such proposal: A windfall tax on oil companies to fund rebates to California taxpayers.

Sound familiar? It should. Earlier this year, Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, proposed a windfall tax on California refineries — and he gutted and amended Rocklin Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley’s gas tax suspension bill to do it.

That measure went nowhere. But with Newsom’s power behind it? Expect a windfall tax to be a hot topic next legislative session.

Especially since both Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, are open to the discussion.

“A windfall profits tax that takes excessive profits out of the hands of Wall Street and puts money into the hands of consumers deserves strong consideration by the Legislature. We look forward to reviewing the details of the governor’s proposal,” the legislative leaders said in a joint statement.

Newsom also directed the California Air Resources Board to “take whatever steps are necessary” for refineries to begin making and distributing their “winter blend” of gasoline, which is easier to produce and thus cheaper for consumers.

“In light of the dramatic increase in gas prices that California is experiencing, we should not wait until the end of the month to start distributing or to ramp up production of our winter-blend gasoline. Allowing refiners to make an early transition to winter-blend gasoline could quickly increase fuel supply and provide a much needed safety valve with minimal air quality impacts,” Newsom said in a letter to CARB.

His Republican gubernatorial opponent, Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, was unimpressed, calling it “another band-aid approach from the governor,” in a tweet.

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, tweeted that Newsom “just doesn’t get it.”

“Every other state is seeing relief from high gas prices. The problem in CA is policy. We need major action, starting w/ suspending the taxes & fees that make our gas so much more expensive, adding approx $1.80 to a gallon!” Gallagher wrote in the tweet.

TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY IN NEVADA

In a move to energize Nevada Republicans, who could play a major role in handing control of the U.S. Senate to the GOP, former President Donald Trump is paying a visit.

Trump, who has strongly hinted that he is going to run in 2024, is set to hold a rally Oct. 8 at the Minden-Tahoe Airport alongside Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt and gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo, according to a report from the Nevada Independent.

That’s about 150 miles from Sacramento. What are the chances we see some California Republicans at the rally?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Veto overrides should be a thing, even with a Dem Governor.”

- Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, via Twitter.

Best of The Bee:

  • California’s legislative season has come to a close, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed or vetoed hundreds of bills — decisions that will have a significant impact on millions of state residents for years to come, via Lindsey Holden and Andrew Sheeler.

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have extended deadlines for the California Reparations Task Force, the committee charged with addressing the state’s legacy of enslavement and discrimination, via Marcus D. Smith.

  • California’s San Joaquin Valley could see the greatest impact from a law meant to make it easier for farmworkers to vote in union elections, a regional labor expert said, via Melissa Montalvo and Laura S. Diaz.

  • CalPERS will hold another round of voting to fill a seat on its Board of Administration after none of three candidates won a majority in this month’s special election, via Wes Venteicher.

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom spent about $230,000 on ads and billboards blasting Republican governors in other states and has $23.2 million available in his campaign account in the final weeks of his re-election campaign, via David Lightman.

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed into law new rules requiring California sheriffs to publicly announce when someone dies in custody, a change experts and advocates say is overdue and necessary to hold law enforcement accountable and ensure transparency of jails and prisons, via Jason Pohl.

  • Millions of California workers will see increased family leave benefits under new law, via Maggie Angst.

  • Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Friday that bars prosecutors from using rap lyrics and other forms of creative art as evidence in court, a measure intended to prevent attorneys from creating bias against defendants, via Marcus D. Smith.

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