"Gas prices are too high": Gov. Newsom calls for direct tax on oil companies windfall profits
SACRAMENTO - As Californians face near-record prices at the pump, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he's calling for a special session to address the "greed of oil companies."
In a tweet on Friday, the governor said gas prices are too high and that he'd like to enact a direct tax on oil companies.
"I'm calling for a Special Session to address the greed of oil companies. Gas prices are too high. Time to enact a windfall profits tax directly on oil companies that are ripping you off at the pump," he wrote.
On Friday, 23 million California residents began getting an "inflation relief" check, which will be rolled out in the following days, as part of Newsom's plan to offer financial assistance to many working families walloped by high gasoline prices.
The checks are part of a $17 billion relief package that also suspended the state's sales tax on diesel fuel and provided additional aid to help people with rent and utility bills, the governor said earlier this year.
While gas prices have declined from their record high in June, drivers in California still pay the highest amount for a gallon of gas, on average, according to data from AAA. The average gas price is $6.42 per gallon in California, compared with $3.87 nationally.
"We're told about 90% of residents in the state are currently eligible for these rebates," CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti said.
Click here to read about the timing of the checks and how much California residents can expect.