Kurt Nicklas <namblamember@gop.org> wrote in news:so3gu9$ek1$127@news.dns-
netz.com:

> edell@post.com wrote
>
>> Black dick up my butthole
>
> You are one sick bastard.

After gas prices in California spiked to more than $6.40 per gallon last
summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom led a charge against an industry he says is
�ripping you off."

Months later, it's not clear if California's Legislature is following him.

Newsom, a Democrat, called lawmakers into a rare special session in
December to pass what could be the nation's first penalty on oil company
profits. But the bill is still sitting in the Democratic-controlled
Legislature three months later, with no details on how much the penalty
would be or when oil companies would have to pay it. Newsom and
legislative leaders have been meeting privately to negotiate the terms.

The proposal, which would broadly apply a fee to oil company profits in
excess of a certain amount, will get its first public hearing Wednesday in
the state Senate. But it's informational only, meaning lawmakers will take
testimony but make no decisions on how to move forward.

The hearing will include testimony from the Newsom administration,
environmental advocates and an oil industry trade group.

�I'm expecting forward progress of some kind,� said Jamie Court, president
of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit group that Newsom has frequently cited
when criticizing oil companies.

But other environmental advocates don't have high hopes for the hearing.
Four of the witnesses scheduled to speak have ties to the oil industry,
according to Elected Officials to Protect America, a group of current and
former officials who advocate for the environment.

�The public hearing is stacked with people who have questionable ties with
the fossil fuel industry in order to sway opinion,� said Heidi Harmon, co-
chair of the group's leadership council and former San Luis Obispo mayor.
�This is against the principles of our democratic system.�

Newsom said the reason it's taking so long to advance the bill is a �lack
of transparency� from the big five oil refiners, which supply nearly all
of California�s gasoline. Those companies�Valero, Phillips 66, PBF Energy,
Marathon and Chevron�have declined to testify during public hearings.

The big question is how much profit would trigger the penalty. Consumer
Watchdog wants that threshold to anytime oil company profits exceed 50
cents per gallon. One way to measure that would be to look at the
difference between the wholesale cost of gas and the cost of crude oil.
But that calculation isn't perfect, because it doesn't include oil company
operational costs, Court, the group's president, said.

In the last 20 years, the big five oil refiners have average profits of 32
cents per gallon, Court said. The group says all of the big five refiners
surpassed 50 cents in 2022. If that threshold had been law in 2022,
Consumer Watchdog said it would have generated $3.3 billion in penalties.

Newsom said the Legislature has been an �incredible partner,� saying he's
meeting with legislative leaders to discuss the proposal.

�I'm not going away. We're going to keep at this,� Newsom said.

The oil industry spent about $34 million lobbying the Legislature in the
last two-year session and remains a powerful political force, particularly
among Democrats who represent parts of the state where the industry
provides jobs. The proposal would need support from a majority of
lawmakers to pass.

<https://sfstandard.com/politics/californias-plan-to-penalize-oil-profits-
makes-little-progress/>

"Stupid in California" <stupid.in.california@latimes.com> wrote in message
news:fcb943cd0ccc6fcb8cfc691f52d0055b@dizum.com...
> Kurt Nicklas <namblamember@gop.org> wrote in news:so3gu9$ek1$127@news.dns-
> netz.com:
>
>> edell@post.com wrote
>>
>>> Black dick up my butthole
>>
>> You are one sick bastard.
>
> After gas prices in California spiked to more than $6.40 per gallon last
> summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom led a charge against an industry he says is
> "ripping you off."
>
> Months later, it's not clear if California's Legislature is following him.
>
> Newsom, a Democrat, called lawmakers into a rare special session in
> December to pass what could be the nation's first penalty on oil company
> profits.

No problem.. oil companies will simply add a "Environmental Impact
Surcharge" to all oil and oil products delivered to California. The proceeds
of which will be used to advance environmentally friendly oil production use
and research. Should run about 400% of whatever you charge them in
penalties.