$10 Gas? California Democrats Vote Yes to Higher Prices

On Wednesday, California’s Democratic majority in the state Senate voted down a bill aimed at stopping a looming 65-cent per gallon gas hike. As CBS 8 reporter Richard Allen explained, Senate Bill 2, introduced by Republican Senator Brian Jones of San Diego, would have repealed changes to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard – regulations that will soon hit drivers directly at the pump. Despite warnings about the burden on working families, not a single Democrat voted in favor of the bill.

Clean Air vs. Clean Wallets

Senator Lena Gonzalez, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, made a short but clear statement just before the vote: “I just ask that we request a no vote.” That request was granted in full. Senator Jones said afterward, “They chose not to protect their constituents’ wallets.” The regulations in question were passed last fall by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and are aimed at reducing carbon intensity in fuels by penalizing higher carbon emissions – a cost that refineries are expected to pass on to consumers.

July 1: The Pain Begins

According to Allen, the new rules will go into effect on July 1, the same day California’s fuel excise tax increases by another two cents, bringing it to 61.2 cents per gallon, already the highest in the nation. Combined with the new carbon penalties, many analysts predict gas could rise by at least 65 cents per gallon. For drivers like Michael and Cynthia from San Diego, featured in Allen’s report, that kind of spike isn’t just inconvenient – it’s life-altering. “If this car doesn’t roll, we can’t go to work. And if you don’t go to work, you’re homeless,” Cynthia said.

Electric Vehicles: Not a Universal Solution

Electric car owner Tino Cebrero told CBS 8 that he made the switch last year to avoid rising fuel prices. He says it costs him about $15–$20 to charge his car, compared to $60–$70 for a tank of gas. But not everyone can afford the upfront costs of an electric vehicle, let alone the charging infrastructure. “It’s not like flipping a switch,” Richard Allen noted in his report. The shift to EVs is a slow, expensive process, and many Californians are stuck with gas-powered cars for now.

CARB Says “We’ll Monitor” – But No Guarantees

In response to concerns about price spikes, the California Air Resources Board says it will “monitor for unexpected price hikes” and make “program adjustments” if necessary. But Allen pointed out that the definition of “drastic” or “unexpected” remains vague and subjective. In other words, there’s no actual safeguard in place to stop the price from climbing out of control once these rules take effect.

Refineries Are Leaving California

Over on the California Underground podcast, host Phil Mauriello added more context to the unfolding crisis. He reported that two major refineries are preparing to shut down due to California’s tightening regulations. Valero, which handles 20% of the state’s refining capacity, is set to shut down operations in April 2026. Another, the Phillips 66 refinery, is expected to close by October of this year. That’s nearly a quarter of the state’s refining ability gone in under two years.

Democrats Now Backpedaling in Panic

Mauriello described how lawmakers, some of whom long supported aggressive environmental policies, are now scrambling to avoid political fallout. In a Sacramento hearing, several Democratic legislators grilled CARB leadership over the refinery closures and looming $8 to $10 gas prices. “Why are they leaving if they’re making so much money?” asked Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris. Her question highlighted the contradiction in blaming corporate greed while watching companies flee the state.

The Carbon Neutrality Illusion

Phil Mauriello criticized the state’s obsession with “carbon neutrality,” noting how California will now have to import oil from places like the Middle East, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Ironically, those imports arrive via cargo ships powered by fossil fuels. “Apparently, as long as emissions happen outside California, they don’t count,” Mauriello joked. He argued that exporting pollution while pretending to be green is both dishonest and ineffective.

CARB’s CEO Admits: We Don’t Analyze Consumer Costs

One of the most shocking admissions came from Liane Randolph, the chair of CARB. During the hearing, she told Assemblymember David Alvarez that her agency does not assess how its regulations will affect retail fuel prices. “What we don’t do is take the next step to extrapolate how that cost would flow through to the consumer,” she said. This means that the very agency shaping California’s energy future doesn’t actually measure how their rules impact families at the pump.

It’s All Backwards

Here’s what’s really hard to wrap your head around. California has the resources to refine its own oil, support blue-collar jobs, and produce fuel under cleaner, U.S.-regulated conditions. Instead, we’re shrinking our refining capacity, importing more oil from countries with little environmental oversight, and driving up costs – all while saying it’s for “clean air.” The logic is upside down, and everyday Californians are footing the bill for policies shaped by bureaucrats who admit they don’t consider the cost to the people.

The Supply-Demand Disaster

Petrie-Norris hit the economic nail on the head when she said, “Pricing is fundamentally about supply and demand.” With supply falling faster than demand, prices must rise. And yet the same policymakers who celebrate refinery shutdowns seem shocked when gas prices skyrocket. It’s like cutting your power lines and being surprised when the lights go out.

Political Reckoning on the Horizon?

Phil Mauriello closed his analysis by warning that $10 gas may finally trigger a political earthquake in California. “There’s nothing that motivates voters more than anything that hits their pocketbooks,” he said. If gas hits double digits, it could spell serious trouble for Democrats who’ve long dismissed economic warnings. “It may be too little, too late,” he added. “But now that their butts are in the hot seat politically, they’re changing their tune.”

A Crisis of Priorities

California is heading toward one of the most expensive fuel markets in the world – by choice. State Democrats had a chance to pump the brakes with SB 2, but they unanimously rejected it. Meanwhile, their environmental agenda has sent refineries packing, gutted supply, and placed no real protections for working families. As both Richard Allen and Phil Mauriello made clear, this isn’t just a policy failure. It’s a crisis of priorities, and ordinary people are the ones paying the price.