California lawmakers are preparing to return to work for a special session on gas prices.
State lawmakers are scheduled to convene on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, to swear-in new members and elect leaders for the 2023 legislative session. after a summer of record-high gas prices, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday will formally start his campaign to punish big producers by asking the Legislature to fine them and give the money back to drivers.
Adding to the uncertainty is an unusually high number of new members who will take seats in the Legislature for the first time. More than a quarter of the Legislature's 120 members could be new, depending on the outcome of a few close races where county officials are still counting votes. In an interview, Ashby said she hasn't been approached lobbyists or others from the oil industry asking how she would vote on a potential penalty for oil companies. She noted the oil industry spent the money as “independent expenditures,” meaning she had no control over that spending during the campaign.
But the battle has already begun. Last week, the California Energy Commission held a public hearing about why the state's gas prices are so high. California prices spiked over the summer, but so did the rest of the country — mostly in response to a crude oil price surge after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Newsom sought to shame those companies publicly, posting a video to his Twitter account of their empty seats during Thursday's hearing.
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