Former LA Mayor and Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa wants the state to step in with relief payments. He’s proposed rebates for low-income families if gas prices stay above 5 dollars and 50 cents per gallon for more than a month.
"It was Sacramento that created this situation in the first place. It’s up to Sacramento to fix it."
Some experts worry that kind of relief could encourage oil companies to keep prices high.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, also a Democratic candidate for governor, is calling for a temporary suspension of California’s gas tax during the war with Iran. That would lower costs, but also mean reducing road repair funds.
"Gas prices are punishingly high and harming working families who don’t have any room in their budget to accommodate these cost increases."
Both candidates also say California should roll back some environmental rules that drive up costs — something GOP candidates in the race have long called for.
Energy expert Andrew Campbell with UC Berkeley says the debate is being framed as a tradeoff between affordability and climate policy, but it doesn’t have to be.
"A lot of the big opportunity to address energy affordability is actually finding and continuing to support smart policies that result in people getting away from fossil fuels onto more electric transportation and clean fuels."
Campbell says candidates should link affordability with clean energy… not treat them as competing priorities.