Sen. Brian W. Jones. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Senate Kills Bill that Would Have Repealed 65¢ Gas Tax Increase, Low-Carbon Fuel Regs
SB 2 ended following a forced floor vote
By Evan Symon, June 4, 2025 1:00 pm
A Senate bill that would have repealed the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) gas tax increase of 65 cents a gallon and end the new LCFS Low-Carbon Fuel regulations that were adopted last year, was killed in the Senate on Wednesday following a forced floor vote.
Senate Bill 2, by Senate Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego), would have voided specified amendments to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on November 8, 2024. Specifically, they would end the amendments that would create a new blend of gasoline that is designed to help meet California’s emission goals in the coming decades to help meet California’s emission goals in the coming decades, as well and end the 65 cents per gallon increase in gas prices that it would bring.
Senate Leader Jones wrote SB 2 in December 2024 as a response to CARB’s November decision and Governor Gavin Newsom’s support of the increased gas tax.. The goal of the bill from day one was to stop the gas tax from increasing, because of the burden that the tax put on Californians who have already been paying over $1.50 more than the national average. However, despite bipartisan support, the bill barely made it past Senate Committees. In March, it even lost a committee vote and was considered killed until reconsideration was given for the bill.
However, after several months, the bill remained stagnant. With the budget deadline looming and the summer ahead likely to bring higher gas prices, many Senators were frustrated by the lack of progress. Even worse, CARB Chair Liane Randolph admitted last week that the Board does not consider how its regulations affect prices at the pump, essentially confirming that there was little consideration for the economic consequences when LCFS regulations were adopted.
“That admission is stunning,” said Senate Leader Jones. “CARB is making billion-dollar decisions that hit every family at the pump, and they’re doing it without even asking what it will cost. That level of arrogance and detachment from reality is exactly why we need SB 2.”
Fed up, Senator Jones forced a floor vote on SB 2 on Wednesday. However, the vote was blocked in a 10-23 vote, with Democrats unanimously voting to halt the bill instead.
“I forced a Senate Floor vote to repeal Governor Newsom’s 65-cent gas price hike,” added Leader Jones on Wednesday. “Senate Democrats unanimously opposed it. They had a chance to stand with California drivers, but instead, they chose to defend the highest gas prices in the nation.”
While the 65 cent a gallon increase is now all but set to hurt drivers in California in July, a vote by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration announced earlier on Wednesday increased state’s gas excise tax to 61.2 cents per gallon, with it going into effect on July 1. The excise tax increase, along with the new 65 cent LCFS regulations, will now bring about a huge rise in gas prices in July, hurting California drivers at a time when many are facing difficult economic hardships. As the Globe previously pointed out, these increases, plus with a lower gas supply thanks to recent refinery closures, could lead to gas being as high as over $8 a gallon by the end of 2026.
“Democrats love to talk about affordability until they actually have to vote on it,” continued Jones. “Senate Republicans will keep fighting to stop these reckless gas hikes and force real accountability from the Governor and his regulators.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, Democratic leaders have yet to comment on the SB 2 vote.
Interesting how Senate Dems seem to think they won’t be touched — that their legislative careers will go on a usual, as if nothing has happened —- as a result of this OUTRAGE.
Seems to me they have a big surprise coming. Guess we’ll see. Disgusting
Maybe the criminal Democrat mafia in the legislature knows that they can’t be touched because they’ve perfected voter fraud to ensure they stay in power? It’s probably going to take divine intervention to pry them out of office?
Exactly my thought, TJ.
Grrr..
Exactly: Last year the Cal Supreme Court ruled the voters have no standing regarding legislative expenditures.
Californians essentially lazy and indolent devoid of all senses of self preservation.
Wealthy liberals will be hardest hit. /$arcasm
Just returned from Wisconsin which has NO refineries. I paid on June 4,2025, $2.89 for a gallon for regular gas !!
I bet there will be a lot more people leaving CaliFU. Dems are screwing us all the time. Taxpayers are paying millions to provide illegals with free healthcare, housing, food, education and other social services they don’t deserve, Maybe if Dems would pull their heads out of their A——and stop their Marxist agenda and start deporting them they would have plenty of money for road repairs! Every Democrat in this state should be impeached or voted out of office next election (which won’t happen because our elections are obviously rigged).
Talk about needing to pull one’s head out – you support the party that hates facts, science, what Jesus actually said about how to treat other humans, the rule of law, The GOP taxes and spends waaaaaay more than the Democrats. These are easily provable facts. Look at the real numbers and you’ll see that every GOP president since (ind including) Reagan has made the budget and debt skyrocket, All the Dem presidents have slowed the increases. Look at the facts, if you can still fathom the idea that are real facts. Now I warn you, you actually have to be able to read a chart to see it but here are the numbers: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2017/assets/hist01z1.xls
Brilliant. You talk about presidential spending while the issue is local state government having no regard for the impact of their decisions on its people. Facts and science are ignored by Liberals. There is actually a mountain of evidence to support that, but you talk about presidential spending while not mentioning whatever facts and science of which you are referring. But since you know so much about these facts and science you reference, what amount of benefit, and in what ways, will be realized by this increase in the cost of gasoline?
we need a list of each democrat that voted for this increase and it needs to be posted in a place where every citizen can see it. I would bet 90% of the population has no idea of whats coming down the pipe.
We have the Senate vote in this article: https://californiaglobe.com/fr/gov-newsom-and-democrats-driving-gas-prices-through-the-roof/
Democrats ! !
@Gary Royes: I think you’re correct, but more like 99.9% of people in this state have no idea what is about to happen next month with gas prices/taxes. Overnight, they’ll be saying WTF??? They’ll whine, bitch, and moan – but just pay up and never realize who exactly is screwing them. We need some more “I did that” stickers with Gruesom’s photo to attach to pumps everywhere, not that it will change anything. Until or unless we can get these grifters out of office, this state will continue to circle the drain until it’s totally unlivable and unaffordable.
Brilliant. You talk about presidential spending while the issue is local state government having no regard for the impact of their decisions on its people. Facts and science are ignored by Liberals. There is actually a mountain of evidence to support that, but you talk about presidential spending while not mentioning whatever facts and science of which you are referring. But since you know so much about these facts and science you reference, what amount of benefit, and in what ways, will be realized by this increase in the cost of gasoline?