Gavin Newsom knows he can push the envelope because he’s safe in the Democrat-controlled uniparty state of California.
But one mistake is starting to ripple out across the country.
And Donald Trump was shocked when Gavin Newsom handed him this weapon for 2024.
Newsom gives Trump a helping hand
Gas prices are rising nationally, just as they do in the lead up to every Memorial Day weekend.
Refineries across the country are also switching over to blends of gasoline that are more environmentally friendly.
Democrat-controlled California consistently has some of the highest gas prices in the country, which are usually at least $1.50 higher than the national average.
Golden State Democrats and unelected bureaucrats have imposed strict regulations on gas, like their low carbon fuel standard.
But that’s not just a problem for the state’s residents – California Democrats’ environmental extremist agenda also affects neighboring battleground states like Arizona and Nevada.
Almost 90% of the gasoline sold in Nevada is refined in California, while half of Arizona’s fuel supply is produced there.
That means California Democrats’ costly regulations will spill over into those two states – in the middle of an election year, no less.
Gas prices in Nevada and Arizona often increase when the Golden State’s spike.
And those states have gas prices that are above the national average because of their neighbor to the west.
Now, California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for another costly new tax on gas to plug the state’s massive budget deficit that could send prices in those states soaring.
“The California Energy Commission is planning to impose a tax on refineries’ ‘gross margins’—i.e., the difference between wholesale gasoline and crude prices plus certain regulatory costs. The gross margin notably doesn’t include refiners’ operating costs, which include employee pay,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Newsom is also urging the unelected bureaucrats who control the California Air Resources Board to strengthen the low-carbon fuel standard on gas.
That will drive up production costs for California’s refineries, which will be passed on to customers.
Drivers in Arizona and Nevada will pay the price for Newsom’s environmental extremist agenda.
That’s why Nevada Republican Governor Joe Lombardo sent a letter to Newsom, warning that these regulations and taxes will “lead to limited supplies and higher fuel costs for consumers in both of our states.”
Newsom’s office responded by calling Lombardo a puppet of Big Oil.
Arizona and Nevada voters crucial to the 2024 Election
The Wall Street Journal called Newsom’s moves to spike the price of gas a “gift” to Trump.
Arizona and Nevada have emerged as two of the crucial swing states that will decide the 2024 election.
Each of these states has competitive U.S. Senate races that Republicans see as prime potential pickup opportunities.
Billboards with high gas prices are another painful public reminder of President Joe Biden’s failure to keep costs under control.
Arizona and Nevada could decide who wins the Presidency and which party controls the Senate after the 2024 election.
Drivers in those states who are already suffering are going to be feeling even more pain at the pumps because of Democrat-controlled California’s extreme environmental agenda.
