WE’RE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD AS IT PREPARES FOR A VOTE THAT IS EXPECTED TO RAISE GAS PRICES HERE IN CALIFORNIA. THE BOARD IS REFUSING TO PROVIDE CALIFORNIA DRIVERS AN ESTIMATE ON JUST HOW MUCH PRICES COULD RISE. KCRA THREE CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA SPOKE TO A STATE SENATE SENATOR WHO IS PART OF THE BOARD AND HAS AN UPDATE FOR US. ASHLEY. ALISA AND ANDREA, THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD CONTINUES TO FACE SCRUTINY FOR ITS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY HERE. AS WE REPORTED LAST WEEK, THE BOARD IGNORED OUR REQUESTS FOR AN INTERVIEW ON ITS UPCOMING VOTE. AND NOW THE BOARD’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR HAS JUST COMPLETELY STOPPED RESPONDING TO OUR REQUESTS. SO EVERY DAY SO FAR THIS WEEK, WE’VE ASKED KAB’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH THE LEADER OF THE BOARD, CHAIR LIANE RANDOLPH. THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, LISA MENDEZ, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER DAVE CLEGHORN. HAVE NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THESE REQUESTS FROM THIS WEEK. THIS COMES AFTER MENDEZ, LAST WEEK KEPT SOLELY PROVIDING US WITH WRITTEN STATEMENTS WHILE BRUSHING OFF THE REQUEST TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW SOMEONE WITH THE BOARD. AGAIN, WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THE BOARD’S UPCOMING VOTE TO UPDATE THE STATE’S LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARDS. THE BOARD HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT VOTE WILL IMPACT GAS PRICES, BUT IT CAN’T KEEP ITS STORY STRAIGHT. LAST YEAR, THEY SAID IT COULD BE UP TO $0.47. BUT LAST MONTH, THE BOARD TOLD LAWMAKERS POSSIBLY 8 TO $0.10, AND NOW THEY’RE SAYING THERE’S NO DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE STANDARDS AND GAS PRICES. AND THEY WON’T TALK ABOUT IT. SO DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR HENRY STERN IS A NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD. HE CAN’T SPEAK FOR THE BOARD, BUT IS MEANT TO SERVE AS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE BOARD AND STATE LAWMAKERS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ME, HE SAID THE IMPACTS TO DRIVERS WILL LIKELY NOT BE AS SCARY AS SOME ARE MAKING IT OUT TO BE. A LITTLE BIT OF A FOOL’S ERRAND TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE THIS EXPENSIVE OR THAT EXPENSIVE, IT WILL BE PRICEY. IF INNOVATION COMES TO A HALT. THAT’S A FAIR POINT, RIGHT? LIKE IF IF THE EVS DON’T TAKE OFF AND THAT DOESN’T COME THROUGH, THE LCFS WILL BE A PRICEY POLICY IF IT KEEPS CHUGGING ALONG, THOUGH, I DON’T KNOW, CARB HAS SOME INCREDIBLE TECHNICAL PROWESS. NOT A PR MACHINE, NOT NECESSARILY GOOD AT COMMUNICATING THIS TO THE PUBLIC. THAT’S WHERE FOLKS LIKE ME HAVE TO COME IN AND JUST, I DON’T KNOW, CUT THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT. NOW, ACCORDING TO STATE DATA, THERE ARE ABOUT 1.1 MILLION REGULAR PASSENGER OR LIGHT DUTY ELECTRIC VEHICLES REGISTERED IN THE STATE. THAT’S COMPARED TO THE 25.6 MILLION GAS POWERED CARS REGISTERED IN THE STATE. I ASKED STERN IF HE SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED UPDATED STANDARDS. HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. I’VE HAD FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE PROCESS. JUST BECAUSE, LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE. I MEAN, ONCE YOU’RE WITHIN A CALIFORNIA DEBATE, RIGHT? YOU AND WE’RE JUST WITHIN OUR OWN LITTLE BUBBLE HERE. EVERYONE CAN KIND OF GRIPE ABOUT WHAT THEY DON’T LIKE. SO I TEND TO WANT, YOU KNOW, STRONGER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND STRICTER STANDARDS. MAYBE I WANTED THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY INCLUDED, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY THEY GOT EXEMPTED ALL ALONG. WE FEEL LIKE THE OIL INDUSTRY HAS BEEN HAVING THIS SORT OF THIS CAMPAIGN TO SCARE PEOPLE ABOUT THE COST OF CLIMATE PROGRAMS BECAUSE THE FACT IS, I MEAN, THE LCFS EATS INTO BIG OIL’S MARKET SHARE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT’S THAT’S ULTIMATELY WHAT IT IS. IT’S STRAIGHT UP COMPETITION WITH OIL AND TRYING TO GET OTHER FUELS INTO THE MIX. AND WE THINK DIVERSITY IS SECURITY AND THAT IT HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT TOO. BUT IT’S IT’S REALLY ABOUT TRYING TO GET SOME COMPETITION. SO WE’RE NOT ALL JUST STUCK RELYING ON ONE FUEL. NOW THAT VOTE ON THE LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARDS IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 8TH, THREE DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION, WE WILL CONTINUE MAKING THESE INTERVIEW REQUESTS WITH THE AIR BOARD. ALL RIGHT, ASHLEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TRYING AND FOLLOWING UP ON THAT. THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD TOMORROW HAS A MEETING SCHEDULED IN SACRAMENTO AT 9 A.M. THEY ARE DISCUSSING OTHE