Senate Environmental Quality Committee

Sen. Niello Bill Would Require CA Air Resources Board to Analyze Cost-of-Living Impacts of its Regulations

March 18, 2026 10:11 amMarch 18, 2026 10:11 am

Senator Roger Niello (R-Sacramento) has authored a California Air Resource Board bill to require the Board to explicitly analyze cost-of-living impacts when considering imposing major regulations, including effects on gasoline, electricity, groceries, housing construction, and business costs. We know that...

The Two Primary Causes of California’s July 1st Gas Tax Increase

June 25, 2025 8:59 amJune 26, 2025 12:08 pm

California gasoline already costs approximately $1.50 above the national average, and we are getting another gas tax hike next week. The gas tax increase coming July 1st that CalTax explained in our previous article is the gasoline excise tax, as...

Senate Kills Bill that Would Have Repealed 65¢ Gas Tax Increase, Low-Carbon Fuel Regs

June 4, 2025 1:00 pmJune 4, 2025 1:30 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A Senate bill that would have repealed the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) gas tax increase of 65 cents a gallon and end the new LCFS Low-Carbon Fuel regulations that were adopted last year, was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...

Senate Enviro Committee Kills Bill to Repeal 65¢ Gas Tax Increase, and Low-Carbon Fuel Regs

March 19, 2025 7:11 pmMarch 20, 2025 8:55 am

A Senate bill that would have repealed the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) gas tax increase of 65 cents a gallon and end the new LCFS Low-Carbon Fuel regulations that were adopted last year, was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 Environmental...

Plastic Ban Bill Passes Senate Committee

April 19, 2024 2:45 amApril 19, 2024 2:46 am

A bill aimed at banning all plastic bags from grocery stores and other stores moved ahead in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Wednesday with a 5-2 vote split across party lines. Senate Bill 1053, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear...

Bad Water Legislation Could Upend California’s Economy, Domestic Food Supply

June 11, 2023 2:45 amJune 11, 2023 7:04 am

If the legislation coming out of Sacramento were graded on the criteria of harmful, unintended consequences, it would receive an “F” average – provided you believe harmful is bad for the citizens and not just the cost of doing government....

California Oil Prioritization Bill Unanimously Passes Sen. Environmental Quality Committee

March 29, 2023 5:21 pmMarch 30, 2023 4:17 pm

A bill to prioritize California oil production over certain foreign imports was passed unanimously by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Wednesday, less than a day after Governor Gavin Newsom signed the SBx1-2 oil company oversight bill into law. Senate...