Assemblyman David Alvarez, D-San Diego, commented, “We have a crisis on our hand that may have been self-created by the actions perhaps taken by the state, by regulators.” Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine added, “If California companies were raking it in, why did we have two refineries announce their intent to close?”

Even the California Air Resources Board (CARB) now admits a significant blind spot. Chair Liane Randolph conceded during the hearing that CARB does not currently assess how its clean air policies impact consumer costs. This means working Californians pay a hidden price — one policymakers haven’t properly quantified or addressed.