Brian Dahle, the Bieber Republican who ran against Newsom for governor last year, called it “socialism. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican who represents a major oil-producing district and who grilled Newsom’s senior climate advisor Lauren Sanchez about definitions in the measure, there were few questions from the committee members about the proposal itself. Eloy Garcia, lobbyist: “We cannot have both, on the one hand, a first-of-its-kind, never-been-done-before bill and expect it to be done right in 10 days.But it set up the full 40-member Senate to pass the measure as soon as today, sending it to the Assembly for consideration before its spring recess at the beginning of April.ĭuring the hearing, the Western States Petroleum Association, which represents the oil industry in California, lambasted supporters of the bill for rushing into a new regulatory scheme without fully considering potential unintended consequences: The 13-2 party-line vote in the state Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee followed hours of hand-wringing over how quickly the process is moving. The bill sailed through its first committee hearing Wednesday, a week after Newsom’s office announced major changes - including a provision that would empower the California Energy Commission to establish a maximum profit margin for oil refiners above which they could be penalized, rather than asking the Legislature to determine that cap - and just two days after the amended language went into print.

Gavin Newsom’s recently revised proposal to punish oil companies for high gas prices, they seem ready to pass it anyway - and fast. Whatever lingering concerns legislative Democrats may have about Gov.

From CalMatters’ politics reporter Alexei Koseff :

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