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I’m CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff , and I’m subbing for Lynn today.
The state Capitol would normally be fairly empty this time of year, as lawmakers scatter to their districts across California to work on constituent services or run for re-election.
It is not, however, a normal year.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has summoned the Legislature this fall for a special session to address gasoline prices , asking them to pass additional regulations on oil refinery inventory and maintenance after he failed to jam through his proposal at the end of the regular session in August.
So more than a dozen members of the Assembly convened in Sacramento Wednesday to commence that process with an informational hearing on the petroleum supply chain and California’s planned transition away from fossil fuels.
It was long. It was highly technical . And if it was intended to give wavering Assembly members the confidence to support Newsom’s bill — which aims to avert gas shortages and price spikes at the pump by requiring refiners to maintain an inventory of fuel that they can tap into when they go offline for maintenance — it’s unclear that it moved the needle.