It's Tuesday. California leaders hope to defray the highest fuel costs in the nation. Plus, Californians will vote on whether to enshrine abortion rights in the State Constitution. |
 | | Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed 2022-23 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento in January.Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press |
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Gas prices have begun to dip in recent days but, as you're probably well aware, they remain incredibly high here in the Golden State. As has been the case for weeks, California is the only state where a gallon of regular unleaded tops $6. |
On Sunday, state officials unveiled their plan to help defray some of those costs. In a proposed budget deal, lawmakers announced a $9.5 billion tax refund to offset high gasoline prices and inflation for Californians. The rebates, which vary in size depending on income, will go to 95 percent of taxpayers and would give some families as much as $1,050 in assistance. |
"That's more money in your pocket to help you fill your gas tank and put food on the table," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. |
But the proposal is unlikely to end debate in the State Capitol or among Californians about what else should be done to lower prices at the pump. The cost of a gallon of regular unleaded in California on Monday was $6.318, compared with $4.897 nationwide, according to AAA. (The state's record high was $6.438 on June 14.) |
A bipartisan state legislative committee last week announced it would investigate price gouging to find out why California's gas prices are consistently so high. Experts I spoke to, however, said it wasn't much of a mystery. |
There have been fuel production shortages linked to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which has led to demand outstripping supply. And that's resulted in higher oil costs globally — not just here. |
In California, prices are even higher because of our taxes and regulatory programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, they add roughly $1.20 to the cost of a gallon. |
"We all support environmental regulations, but at the same time, we want cheap gasoline, which is not possible," said Sung Won Sohn, professor of finance and economics at Loyola Marymount University. "You can't have your cake and eat it too." |
Sohn said that it's possible some stations are overcharging, but that we're seeing high fuel prices across California, not a few outliers. That suggests sellers are responding to fuel shortages with higher prices. "I wouldn't call that price gouging. I would call that economics," he told me. |
Earlier this year, Newsom proposed halting an increase to the state's gas tax that's set to take effect on July 1. Republican lawmakers this year have also been calling for that as a way to provide consumers some relief. |
But the proposed budget deal did not include such a pause. It instead proposed suspending the diesel sales tax, which will primarily benefit businesses. |
Democratic legislative leaders opposed halting the gas tax increase in part because they said there was little certainty that gas stations would pass on the difference to drivers. They also wanted to ensure that lower-income households would receive higher rebates. The compromise with Newsom resolved both concerns. |
Philip Daus, an energy market expert and managing partner at the pricing consulting firm Simon-Kucher & Partners, said that halting the gas tax increase would have had little benefit to Californians anyway. |
The increase, which is tied to inflation, is expected to add roughly 3 cents to the sticker price per gallon. When it comes to California's high fuel costs, "it's a drop in the ocean," he told me. |
It is not yet clear when the money will reach residents. Initial estimates were sometime around October, but the Assembly speaker, Anthony Rendon, has said it would most likely be before then, according to CalMatters. |
For more on the state budget proposal: |
 | | California state lawmakers began the process to ratify an amendment to protect reproductive rights.Philip Cheung for The New York Times |
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- Abortion amendment: California state lawmakers put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot that would explicitly protect reproductive rights.
- Abortion data: The state has no centralized system collecting information on how many Californians are obtaining abortions, which may cause issues as out-of-state residents seek abortions in California, CalMatters reports.
- Gun legislation: California legislators on Monday approved Texas-style lawsuits over illegal guns, The Associated Press reports.
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- Arrest at Roe protest: A 30-year-old Angeleno has been jailed on a charge of attempted murder after being accused of injuring a Los Angeles police officer with a makeshift blowtorch at a Roe protest, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Bus crash: A commuter bus with more than 20 passengers crashed near Los Angeles International Airport on Monday and sent seven people to the hospital, NBC Los Angeles reports.
- Anaheim stadium inquiry: An Orange County grand jury criticized the Anaheim City Council for rushing to approve an Angel Stadium deal without proper transparency, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- San Diego superintendent fired: The San Dieguito Union High School Board quietly voted to fire its superintendent amid controversy, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
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- California air quality: The San Joaquin Valley has some of the worst air quality in the country, PBS reports.
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- Pride disruption: San Francisco's Pride celebrations ended 20 minutes early when a fight led to someone spraying an unknown substance into the crowd, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
- Masks in Alameda County: Less than a month after instituting a mask mandate for most indoor settings, Alameda County lifted the order, citing improving conditions.
- Sister city no more: Berkeley is poised to become only the second Californian municipality to suspend ties with its Russian sister cities this week, The Mercury News reports.
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 | | Open Homes Photography |
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 | | Adam Amengual for The New York Times |
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 | | Sunset Cliffs in San Diego in December 2020.Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Jack Forrest, who recommends a seaside neighborhood in San Diego: |
"Sunset Cliffs in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego is a joy every day of the year from dawn til dusk. Although its name emphasizes views of the sun setting into the Pacific, my favorite time is early morning watching birds, surfers, fishing boats under the beautiful sandstone cliffs. Options range from ten minutes of coast watching to a couple of hours meandering as far as Point Loma Nazarene University." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
Summer is here. What's your favorite part of the season in California? |
 | | Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, a teenage chef, draws from her Black, Mexican and Haitian heritage, as well as her Northern California roots.Marissa Leshnov for The New York Times |
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And before you go, some good news |
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez is a chef and cookbook author known for spicy dishes that combine her Black, Mexican and Haitian heritage, as well as her Northern California roots. |
The East Oakland teenager has appeared on "Top Chef Junior" and interned at Dominique Ansel's bakery. She recently started working as a prep cook at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and will begin college at Cornell University in the fall. |
"Food can be expressed in so many different ways," Bisseret Martinez told The New York Times. "It's important that we share cultures and put the original names to different cultural techniques." |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya |
Steven Moity and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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