California Black Media

Gov. Newsom and Speaker Rivas Announce Legislation That Will Prevent Gas Hikes

California lawmakers have introduced legislation to prevent gasoline price spikes, stated Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) last week during a special legislative session on gas prices. The State Assembly set a legislative plan of action to address the surge in gas prices, proposing a bill to increase crude oil and fuel capacity to lower high prices for residents pumping gas at refill stations.

Published

1 year ago

September 13, 2024

Oakland Post

The legislation, introduced and co-authored by Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), aims to make oil refiners manage the state’s gasoline supply responsibly and protect consumers from unexpected financial burdens.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The State Assembly set a legislative plan of action to address the surge in gas prices, proposing a bill to increase crude oil and fuel capacity to lower high prices for residents pumping gas at refill stations. The legislation, introduced and co-authored by Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), aims to make oil refiners manage the state’s gasoline supply responsibly and protect consumers from unexpected financial burdens.

Newsom praised the bill and commended lawmakers for proposing legislation that could help residents save money.

“Gas price spikes are profit spikes for Big Oil, and California won’t stand by as families get gouged,” said Newsom.

Rivas stated that a special session was held to thoroughly vet the proposals.

“We must stop oil companies from raking in record profits at the expense of Californians,” said Rivas.

“We’ll hear from experts and ensure that the public has a voice in the process. I’m committed to delivering solutions that can rein in soaring gas costs and provide real savings at the pump,” he said.

In 2022, Gov. Newsom partnered with the Legislature to sign into law a package of reforms that hold oil companies accountable for the spike in gas prices. The reforms helped create the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight, an independent agency that monitored oil companies. The agency uncovered that high gas prices were caused by suspicious market transactions. Lawmakers outlined specific proposals to reform the state’s gas spot market to prevent spikes due to a lack of stable gas supply.

This year, lawmakers worked with the independent agency to monitor gas prices and discovered that refineries went offline without planning to backfill supplies. As a result, refining margins spiked causing spot and retail prices for gas to increase.

Under this new bill, Newsom plans to authorize the California Energy Commission (CEC) to maintain a minimum inventory of refined fuel in the distribution chain to avoid supply shortages.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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February 20, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 – 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

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February 16, 2026

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Bo Tefu

Trump’s White House Pushes to Control California Wildfire Recovery

The executive order signed Jan. 27 by President Donald Trump directs federal agencies to explore regulations that could override California and municipal permitting rules for homes and other structures destroyed in the fires. Land-use and rebuilding permits have traditionally been handled by cities and counties, making the move an unprecedented federal intervention into disaster recovery.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The White House is moving to take control of wildfire recovery efforts in the Los Angeles County area, issuing an executive order that would shift rebuilding permit authority from state and local governments to the federal government following the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires.

“I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the media when signing the order.

The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed about 16,000 homes, businesses, and other structures across Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and surrounding areas. According to local data, roughly 4,700 applications to rebuild have been submitted, with about 2,000 approved so far. Officials say the pace of rebuilding is consistent with recovery timelines from other major wildfires in California, where reconstruction often takes several years.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass quickly condemned the order, stating that it is unnecessary and legally questionable. Disaster recovery experts echoed those concerns, pointing to constitutional limits on federal authority over land-use decisions.

Trump’s order calls on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration to consider allowing builders to self-certify compliance with health and safety regulations to receive federal approval.

The dispute has become another flashpoint in the ongoing political battle between Trump and Newsom. The governor has requested $33 billion in federal disaster aid that has not yet been approved, while survivors continue to face challenges related to insurance payouts, high rebuilding costs, and legal disputes tied to the cause of the fires.

“Instead of finally sending to Congress the federal relief Los Angeles needs to rebuild from last year’s firestorms, Donald Trump continues to live in fantasy land,” Newsom wrote on X.

Bass said the White House could speed recovery by approving disaster aid and pushing insurers and lenders to support affected residents.

Trump’s order calls for draft regulations within 30 days and final rules within 90 days.