Senate adopts Gov. Newsom’s proposal to penalize Big Oil for future gas gouging of consumers

The state Senate today passed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to provide state energy regulators the authority to hold California’s big oil refiners accountable for gas price hikes in the future.

SBX-1, authored by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Dist. 9) passed by a vote of 30 to 8 and will now go to the State Assembly for consideration.

Below is a statement from Bill Allayaud, director of government affairs for EWG in California:

“Californians need swift action to address being ripped off by the oil companies and that is exactly what the State Senate did. During hearings on the bill, after repeated questioning, the oil companies could not give a rational explanation for their record of gouging consumers and their obscene profit margins and that helped fuel the passage of this important measure.”