SUMMARY: Gas price cuts + illegal cannabis enforcement + internet for all + housing + school buses = big week for transportation for Californians

SACRAMENTO — From easing rising costs, including high gas prices, to cleaning up California’s school buses to breaking out 10,000 miles of broadband nationwide, the Newsom administration has been working hard this week to take action on a range of issues for Californians. .

Depressing gas prices, providing aid and holding greedy oil companies accountable

As Middle-class tax refunds continue to hit bank accounts Across the state, much to the relief of Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measures to curb high gas prices are paying off. Gas prices in California are down an average of $0.24 from a week ago, thanks in part to the governor’s early switch to winter blend gasoline.

At the same time, the governor is working to hold greedy oil companies accountable for making record profits while beating Californians at the pump. SHE announced last Friday calls an emergency legislative session for Dec. 5 to put oil company windfalls back into taxpayers’ pockets.

Meanwhile, Consumer Watchdog, a nonpartisan advocacy group for American consumers, published a report last week shows the need to take windfall profits.

Consumer Watchdog reports: “All five refiners posted unprecedented profits per gallon in the West — between 79 cents and $1.01 a gallon. … In the second quarter, Consumer Watchdog reported that these five refiners posted three to 10 times more profit per gallon in their West Coast operations from April to June compared to the same period last year.”

Cracking down on $15 million worth of illegal cannabis

Governor Newsom’s newly formed Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) aggressive action curbing illegal cannabis operations – protecting communities and consumers in California and the United States from unregulated and potentially harmful cannabis products. On Oct. 4, the task force conducted an operation in a rural area of ​​Jupiter, Tuolumne County, targeting unlicensed open field cultivation. Nine search warrants were served in the multi-agency operation. Officers uprooted 11,260 illegal cannabis plants and destroyed 5,237 pounds. illegally processed cannabis flower with an estimated retail value of more than $15 million, according to the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).

High-speed Internet access for all California residents

Construction began yesterday in San Diego County on the first phase 10,000 miles of broadband aims to bring high-speed Internet service to all Californians, regardless of where they live. The planned network, which will be the nation’s largest, will span the entire state to provide reliable, high-speed Internet access to the millions of Californians who currently lack it.

$$$ to fix the California supply chain

Since the backlog of cargo ships in the state’s ports due to the pandemic is rapidly decreasing, the focus is on the long-term development of the supply chain. The California State Transportation Agency issued final guidelines and a call for projects this week an unprecedented $1.2 billion one-time government grant for port and freight infrastructure projects in order to build a more efficient, sustainable and flexible freight movement system.

More electric school buses than any other state

California has more than double that clean school buses in the rest of the US according to the new report is published by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) this week. In California, 1,800 zero-emission buses are in operation or can be ordered, while in other states 888.

To date, the state has invested more than $1.2 billion in cleaning up old diesel-burning school buses, and an additional $1.8 billion will be spent over the next five years on zero-emission school buses and related charging infrastructure.

The funding is part of the California Climate Commitment, a record $54 billion investment in climate action that includes $10 billion to accelerate California’s transition to zero-emission vehicles with significant consumer rebates and funding for charging infrastructure.

Housing Extension for Older Californians and People with Disabilities

Governor Newsom with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), announced this week that 12 organizations received a total of $53 million in grants to create more residential care options for seniors and adults with disabilities, including people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. A total of 402 beds or units will be created with this money.

Welcome to the first class of #CaliforniansForAll College Corps scholarship recipients

Last Friday, along with Governor Newsom, California Service Director Josh Fryday and higher education leaders swore in first grade member of the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps Fellows, more than 3,200 students commit to serving communities across the state while earning money to pay for college.

This first-of-its-kind initiative offers undergraduate students at California’s 46 colleges and universities the opportunity to earn $10,000 for a year of service focused on three key areas for the state: K-12 education, climate action and food. uncertainty.