Here’s how costs compare to state, country
Gas prices exceed $5 a gallon at the Fuel Depot on Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara. The average price in the city reached a record high Monday of $5.287 a gallon for regular unleaded gas.
Gas prices across the country are continuing to climb — and Santa Barbara is no exception.
In fact, the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Lompoc areas set a new record Monday with the average for regular unleaded gas reaching $5.287 per gallon and diesel hitting $5.648, according to the American Automobile Association.
The previous record for the area was set on June 18, 2008, with $4.7081, an AAA spokesperson told the News-Press.
In comparison, California’s average was $5.343 as of Monday, per AAA data.
The national average is also nearing historic levels. As of Monday, it was $4.065. According to AAA, the current record was set in July 2008 at $4.114 for regular unleaded gas and $4.845 for diesel.
A group of Assembly Republicans last week called for a six-month moratorium of the gas tax to alleviate the financial burden on Californians.
Minority Floor Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, said the suspension would save individuals $0.50 per gallon.
“Hardworking families are having to cut back from other expenses just to fill up their gas tanks,” state Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, said during last week’s press conference. “Higher gas prices are eating up their budgets for food and groceries, prescription medications, school supplies and other necessary expenses. With such an enormous surplus, this is just unacceptable.”
But pausing the gas tax could have unintended consequences on other priorities, Democrats said.
“The current proposal will delay transit and infrastructure projects in our communities so before taking a position, it’s important to further discuss the tradeoffs,” Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, said in a statement to the News-Press. “SB 1 (the 2017 gas tax increase bill) has helped fund 245 projects across our community. Caltrans has made repairs to Highway 246, Route 150 and has also funded some of the current construction on the 101.”
In comparison, the average price for regular unleaded gas in the San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Paso Robles region was $5.516 per gallon. The average price has reached $5.429 in the Los Angeles and Long Beach area and $5.284 in Sacramento Monday, according to AAA.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion has caused crude prices to soar, leading to the surmounting gas prices in the U.S., according to AAA.
As Gov. Gavin Newsom last week called on state departments and agencies to terminate contracts subjected to economic sanctions on Russia, Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, implored the governor to halt the importation of crude oil from Russia.
Sen. Grove said California should instead rely on in-state producers, including those in her district.
“What good does it do for us to divest in Russian assets on the one hand, then send (Russian President Vladimir) Putin billions of dollars for imported crude on the other,” Sen. Grove said in a statement.
California imported nearly 15.5 million barrels of crude oil in 2021, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
