California drivers are about to get hit – again – at the pump. On July 1, gas prices are set to rise thanks to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s relentless climate crusade when higher gas tax and stricter fuel regulations take effect, punishing working families under the guise of environmental virtue.

Despite our state's plentiful oil reserves, Californians are forced by Democrat 'climate' policies to pay the nation’s highest gas prices (now around $5.00 per gallon), surpassing even Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Extortionate gas prices are not just an inconvenience; they are a crushing burden for working families, who typically face far longer commutes than the leftist work-from home elites who impose these policies. And they're a disaster for small businesses operating on tight margins and are already struggling under the weight of the nation's highest taxes and most burdensome regulations.

For those who may think it can't get any worse, pay attention. A recent University of Southern California study predicts that gas prices in California could reach $6 by the end of this year and $8.40 next year, purely through a reduction in California's refining capacity thanks to the onslaught of 'climate' regulation. Add to that a planned 65-cent increase imposed by CARB (the out-of-control California Air Resources Board), and it's not fanciful to imagine the Democrats' extremist 'climate agenda' driving California toward an unthinkable $9 per gallon by 2026. This is ideological zealotry as economic sabotage.

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California’s sky-high gas prices are the direct result of 15 years of one-party Democratic rule. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and every other leading Democrat in the state have been cheerleaders for this "war on fossil fuels," endlessly bragging about "leading the world" on climate change. But their sanctimonious and narcissistic virtue-signaling comes at the price of real pain for the very people Democrats once claimed to represent: the working class. No wonder working class voters, in particular Latinos, are deserting the party in droves.

The more you look at the crisis of affordability in California -- the highest costs in America not just for gas but for housing, electricity and every other necessity - the more you realize that the entire regulatory edifice of the Democrat 'climate agenda' is to blame. It is a bureaucratic monstrosity of tax and red tape, built up over the past 20 years since the passage of the 'Global Warming Solutions Act' in 2006, in the name of driving towards an absurd, fantastical target of "net zero" carbon emissions by 2045. It is an incoherent and unachievable pipe dream, the pursuit of which hurts the poorest and most vulnerable, bankrupting our state and driving jobs away faster than you can say "Democrat luxury beliefs." 

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The immediate gas price shock has been prompted by a Democrat-created refinery crisis. California has no oil pipeline connection to the rest of the country, and on top of that it requires a special 'blend' of fuel. This and other regulations are prompting refiners to leave the state, starting with Phillips 66 in L.A. and followed in swift succession by Valero’s Benicia plant (recently crippled by fire), and the threatened closure of PBF’s Torrance facility. Over 25% of our refining capacity could vanish in a year, leaving us at the mercy of foreign oil and skyrocketing prices. Add to that the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) insane rules, which could slap an extra 65 cents per gallon on fuel costs, and you’ve got a recipe for $9 gas.

On top of this, complex micro-managing regulations—like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and cap-and-trade fees—pile on costs that hit you at the pump. None of it is justified, even on environmental grounds. Refinery regulations and special fuel blends which may have once made sense in the era of smog and gas-guzzlers are utterly pointless in a world of increasingly fuel-efficient, modern cars.

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It doesn't have to be like this. We can protect our environment without crushing working families and small businesses. As governor, I would take immediate action to lower gas prices, with a simple, achievable target of $3 gas -- in line with what we see in the rest of the country. 

Here’s how we do it:

First, we eliminate the ridiculous "environmental program" costs that add about 54 cents per gallon. These cap-and-trade fees are nothing but a tax on working people to fund Democrats' 'climate' schemes that have not even succeeded in reducing California's overall dependence on fossil fuels. 

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Second, we suspend the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, reformulation requirements, and other burdensome refinery regulations. These add roughly 40 cents per gallon in compliance costs, forcing refineries to jack up prices or shut down entirely.

Third, we reduce the state’s obscene 60-cents-per-gallon excise tax. Why are Californians paying more to drive than anyone else in the country? Because Democrats are addicted to raising taxes. The trouble is, we get the nation's worst outcomes in return.

Finally, we should take immediate steps to boost California’s oil production and suspend enforcement of Newsom’s pet legislative projects, SBX1-2 and ABX2-1, which choke our energy industry by slapping penalties on refineries for making "too much" profit and making rules like requiring extra fuel stockpiles to guard against the negative effect of the Democrats' own policies. These reforms could shave off another 25 cents per gallon.

Three-dollar gas is within reach. That would make a huge difference to so many working-class Californians and small businesses. It’s not complicated. It’s just positive, pragmatic policymaking. It's what happens when you stop letting ideologues and 'climate' zealots run the show.

Newsom, Harris and the rest of the California Democrats want you to believe their green crusade is noble, but it’s a cruel hoax. They’re chasing refineries out of California, shutting down our cleaner in-state oil production, and piling on regulations that make life unaffordable. Meanwhile, they jet around in private planes and travel in motorcades—hypocrisy at its finest. 

Their policies don’t just hurt your wallet; they’re killing jobs, strangling small businesses, and making it impossible for families to make ends meet. And for what? So they can pat themselves on the back at climate conferences while you’re choosing between gas and groceries.

I’m running for governor to end this madness. California has plentiful oil reserves—more than enough to keep prices low and our economy humming. But Newsom and Harris would rather bow to their woke base than admit fossil fuels are still essential. Their vision for California is one where only the elite can afford to live, while the rest of us are stuck paying $9 a gallon to get to work. It’s pathetic, it’s unfair, and it’s got to stop.

With my plan, we’ll restore common sense, bring back affordability, and put Californians back in the driver’s seat—literally and figuratively. Three-dollar gas is possible, but only if we kick out the career politicians who’ve been fleecing us for years. 

Republican Steve Hilton is a candidate for governor of California. He previously served as senior policy and strategy advisor to former U.K. prime minister David Cameron. He is a former host of "The Next Revolution" on Fox News.