2 Democratic candidates target gas tax, refinery rules

Rivals in governor's race separately say they want to help working families.

- BY NICOLE NIXON

A CHEVRON in downtown L.A. last week charged $8.31 a gallon for regular gas.

(GENARO MOLINA Los Angeles Times)

As gas prices surge in California and nationally due to the war in Iran, two Democrats running for California governor are calling for the state to temporarily suspend its fuel tax or ease refinery regulations in an effort to lower costs.

Standing in front of a gas pump in a video posted to social media, San José Mayor Matt Mahan said the costs are "becoming an emergency for working families, and I think we ought to act like it."

The moderate Democrat called on state lawmakers to suspend California's gas tax, which at 61 cents per gallon is the highest in the nation.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also called for an "immediate moratorium" on regulations that he blamed for "overburdening" California refineries and working families.

"These failed policies are not only hurting tens of millions of Californians, they are terrible for the environment because they have forced California to depend on imported foreign oil from the Middle East," Villaraigosa said in a statement.

The cost of living in California, including the price at the pump, remains a pivotal issue for voters in the state, and has become central to the moderate-leaning campaigns of Mahan and Villaraigosa as they attempt to distinguish themselves in the tightly contested race for governor.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in California on Monday was $5.52, the highest in the nation and more than 50 cents higher than any other state. The national average was $3.71, up from the previous month's average of $2.92.

Gasoline prices in California are often among the highest in the country for a number of reasons, including environmental rules that require a unique blend of cleaner-burning fuel.