Two Democrats Running for California Governor Call for Suspension of Gas Tax
Seismic sticker shock slams California, where the consequences of “green theater” are playing out exactly as predicted.
I have chronicled the long history of California’s politicians targeting fossil fuel companies as part of “climate cult” theater.
These antics have had consequences, and now two Democrats running for governor want to suspend the gas tax:
Standing in front of a gas pump in a video posted to social media, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said the costs are “becoming an emergency for working families, and I think we ought to act like it.”
The moderate Democrat called on state lawmakers to suspend California’s gas tax, which at 61 cents per gallon is the highest in the nation.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also called for an “immediate moratorium” on regulations that he blamed for “overburdening” California refineries and working families.
“These failed policies are not only hurting tens of millions of Californians, they are terrible for the environment because they have forced California to depend on imported foreign oil from the Middle East,” Villaraigosa said in a statement.
To begin with, energy giant Chevron relocated its headquarters to Texas after more than 140 years in California. It had strong roots in this state. However, the toxic policies of California’s lawmakers and regulators have killed those roots.
Phillips 66 announced plans to stop operations at its Los Angeles-area refinery in the fourth quarter of 2025. And while it is not truly closed, operations are clearly winding down.
The Houston-based company said it will cut 122 employees effective April 3 at two facilities in Carson and Wilmington that make up the company’s Los Angeles refinery, according a notice filed Feb. 2 with California’s employment regulator. This follows a separate notice last month that 155 employees will be terminated at the refinery in December, bringing the total to 277.
Valero decided to close its Benicia refinery, which is the main supplier of Travis Air Force Base. This development is a disturbing threat to national security.
When supply is reduced, but demand is not, prices tend to rise. Now Californians are having seismic-scale sticker shock at gas prices that are the highest in the nation.
California and San Francisco remained the most expensive markets, with prices nearing or exceeding the $6 per gallon mark for higher grades, while Texas continued to post the lowest prices despite notable gains. Across all states, regular fuel remained the cheapest option, premium the highest, and midgrade in between, highlighting a uniform pricing structure amid a nationwide surge in gasoline costs.
At my office today, there were complaints that $100 didn’t even fill a car’s tank completely.
And while Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office attempted to deflect blame, astute news consumers pointed out that the state raked in more money from gas taxes than the “evil corporations” did.
“The State of California collects more in taxes per gallon of gasoline than refineries such as Chevron, Shell, or Valero collect in profit per gallon,” the note read. “From CA’s own state energy website, on average, the state of California collects about $0.71 per gallon of gas; meanwhile, the average profit a company like Chevron rakes in is typically under $0.20 per gallon, depending on the quarter. And that figure is before taxes.
While America suffers, Chevron profits. pic.twitter.com/npcRlNH8Hm
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 9, 2026
Gas prices are so out of control in California, they’ve literally become criminal. Then add Gavin Newsom and the Democrats gas tax into the mix and you end up with the highest gas prices in the country.
What did you last pay for gas and where? pic.twitter.com/d9yPIA5qjQ
— Based Bandita (@BasedBandita) April 12, 2026
Legal Insurrection readers will recall that gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was forced to end his campaign amid charges of sexual misconduct. This is one sign that the Democrats are desperate to align behind one appealing candidate to avoid a Republican in.
Mahan and Villaraigosa’s desire to suspend California’s fuel tax or ease regulations in response to gas prices is just another sign of desperation.
California’s political class is now reaping the bitter harvest of its own “green virtue” theater. The same lawmakers who punished homegrown energy producers are scrambling to deflect outrage as gas prices skyrocket and supply chains fray.
Voters who once cheered environmental grandstanding are watching the state’s economic engine sputter and are starting to envy Texas and other states that are now welcoming the businesses Sacramento drove away.
In true California fashion, this free-market lesson arrived late, and the consequences of ignoring many earlier warnings are already written in the price at the pump.
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Comments
What would Greta do? 😂 🤣
Send a flotilla to Sacramento. Or not since it’s well inland.
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Nothing will change there. They are too addicted to the power and control.sonthey can fund voting blocks to keep them in that position.
Reducing the gas tax will not increase the supply of gasoline. So, the price will essentially stay the same, meaning that the tax revenue will be pushed back to the suppliers. A better, long-term way to get the price down is to increase the supply. To do that, though, requires a modicum of economic rationality, which sadly, is in short supply in CA.
Not quite. Eliminating all the gas and storage taxed lowers the price at the CA pump $o.90 (lowering it to the raw retail price).
In contrast, Marylands total gas tax is $0.46.
I agree it won’t increase supply, but it will reduce consumer prices.
dwb: it does not reduce supply, as you observe. In the very, very short run, the price may fall, but then as prices re-adjust to the existing supply and demand, the price will go back to where it was before the removal of the tax. The raw retail price will simply rise by the amount of the tax.
The price in MD, where I reside, is low because we don’t yet have CA’s nutty regulations that act to curtail supply. Of course, Wes, who is less than, Moore, and the nutty DemoncRat legislature we have, seem to want to emulate CA’s downward spiral, and that’s without its good weather.
Katie Porter should be the next to go, if her ego lets her drop out. Leaving Tom Steyer to run the state.
Where will she go? It’s unlikely that Popeye wants Olive Oyl any more.
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Women’s wrestling league? She’s a bruiser.
$100 for a fill up?
My first car was a $75.00 1959 Buick.
Later, I could fill up my VW for three dollars.
Right. This is about giving the run around to Steve Hilton. The upper class voters are happy and don’t give a damn about anything else. California will elect another lying, corrupt Governor. They deserve a Katie Porter if she’s their pick.
Ain’t happening. This may come as a shock, but Communists will often say one thing and do another.
Besides: the Communist Party has already made great strides in turning California into another North Korea. Why stop now when the goal is so close? It’s not like the proles have a say in the matter anymore, and sooner rather than later California will enact a full-blown exit tax that will keep them bound to the State forever.
Indeed. See Abigail Spanberger for an example.
A GOP governor in California is just another opportunity to spread the blame for its misery. With the rest of CA government dominated by Democrats, there’s no hope of change. Better to have a Democrat governor to have the Democrats solely responsible for the statewide disaster. Perhaps as a warning to other state’s voters.
green green green green green!!
just keep scamming the public
higher taxes ..come on rip off the band-aid already
These Dems are lying to the public to try to win the Governorship as they really will not change the taxes on anything because the state is heavy in debt. The state is supporting too many illegals and various homeless while adding on taxes. People that can afford to or do to business is leaving and it is costing the state taxes and add to debt.
Pre-election positions are always so promising!
The concept of a totally Democrat controlled legislature actually cutting any taxes is a bigger fantasy than the Lord of the Rings series. Ain’t gonna happen, and anyone politically aware knows it.
Subotai Bahadur
It’s called getting what you voted for. Problem is the dog never had a plan for if he caught the car
cali will probably vote in the ugly woman so she can throw a fit over Trump.
I have no reasonable belief cali voters will change anything.
Been thinking that someone ought to call for that. Of course, it will never happen but all they gotta do is fool the rubes until primary day.
#Believe all democrat candidates who say they will repeal any taxes of any type.
Those taxes are supposed to be used for roads and bridges. But it all disappears into black hole in Sac. Got to pay for free medical for illegal aliens, and homeless junkies, other “priorities”.
I’m a 68 year old native Californian who has watched his state deteriorate for decades now. Nothing bad happening here can be blamed on accident, incompetence or coincidence. It’s all the result of the purposeful actions of the leftist hive infesting Sacramento. Our disastrous energy regulations are the result of CARB, a bureaucracy that outlived its usefulness decades ago and now exists solely as a political bludgeon for the left to force its will on us.