Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) announced Tuesday that he has formally requested an independent audit of the California Air Resources Board over its overhaul of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard — a regulation set to raise gasoline prices by as much as 65 cents per gallon starting July 1.
At the same time, 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 said. “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 Public Records Act request Jones submitted on May 21, seeking all communications, economic projections and briefing materials from CARB and Newsom’s office related to the fuel standard.
As of Tuesday, no records or documents have been released. Jones said the audit is the necessary next step to hold unelected regulators and the administration accountable for obscuring the true cost of their climate policies.
In his letter to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, Jones cited conflicting statements from CARB about the expected price impact. The agency initially projected per-gallon price increases beginning this year, rising to over $1 by 2042, before retracting those estimates.
Jones’s audit request asks for an examination of 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 data from the public and lawmakers.
“The public deserves to know whether CARB followed legal transparency requirements, whether they hid anything from the public, and whether they properly weighed economic and environmental impacts before pushing through this costly regulation,” Jones said. “This audit will help uncover the truth and restore trust in the regulatory process.”
The committee is scheduled to consider the audit request at its next hearing in August.
Earlier this year, Jones forced a Senate floor vote to repeal the fuel standard. All Senate Democrats voted to keep the regulation in place.
On July 1, Californians face a dual hit: a scheduled increase in the state’s gas excise tax to 61.2 cents per gallon, and the new LCFS rules projected to add up to 65 cents more per gallon.
USC Professor Michael Mische has warned that California gas prices could surge by 75%, reaching $8.43 per gallon by 2026, due to refinery closures and regulation.
