Jay McKeeman, Vice President of Government Relations and Communications for the California Independent Oil Marketers Association, issued the following statement in response to the introduction of AB 69 by Assembly Member Henry Perea (D-Fresno).
“I want to thank Assembly Member Henry Perea for listening to the voices of small businesses and consumers throughout the state who are angry that they are just learning about the California Air Resources Board’s planned January fuel fee and the hit to their family budgets. Assembly Member Perea’s AB 69 is an important legislative effort to delay the inclusion of transportation fuels in CARB’s “Fuels Under the Cap” portion of cap-and-trade regulations. The regulations are CARB’s interpretation of the requirements of California’s landmark environmental law known as AB 32.
The January tax would create significant and unpredictable spikes in fuel prices at the pump at a time when Californians are still struggling economically with high unemployment rates, increased taxes and the effects of an unprecedented drought in the Central Valley.
CIOMA applauds the joint effort of Assembly Members Perea, Brown, Daly, Hall, Hernández, Rodriguez and Salas, along with Senators Correa and Torres, for standing up to pressure from the environmental community by taking this issue through legislative channels. CIOMA has been working to get CARB’s attention on this issue for over six months and we will continue to promote legislation to resolve an issue that should be dealt with in an open, transparent and straightforward manner.”
CIOMA is a non-profit, statewide association of convenience store owners, independent wholesale and retail marketers of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, lubricating oils and other petroleum and energy products. Our mission is to promote and defend the trade and traditions of independent energy marketers and related retail operators, thereby preserving the customer’s right to choose. We are comprised of small, family-owned businesses who take great pride in offering competitively priced and convenient fuels and transportation related products to California motorists.
