LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — By a 23-9 vote on Friday, California State senators advanced rules that could potentially cause higher gas prices across Nevada.
The California legislation is now headed back to the California Assembly to approve minor changes made by the Senate. The Assembly initially passed the legislation 44-17 .
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote a joint letter in early September appealing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom to work with them to find a solution that wouldn’t have a regional impact. Nevada and Arizona get almost all of their gasoline through pipelines running from California refineries.
Gas prices in Las Vegas have been falling recently but still remain above the national average. According to figures released early Monday by gasbuddy.com, the average price in Las Vegas was $3.77 per gallon, compared to $3.13 nationally. Down Interstate 15 in San Bernardino, Californians were paying an average of $4.39 per gallon.
Part of the price difference between Nevada and California is state tax — 23 cents per gallon in Nevada compared to 68 cents in California.