Could Federal Action Revive California Oil Production?
By Eric Eisnhammer, Director of Public Affairs & Public Relations The recent conflict in the Middle East and hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz impacting Persian Gulf oil exports has highlighted how unprepared California is to deal with global supply disruptions. As Los Angeles Emmy winning newsman James Vaughn stated in a viral Facebook post: […]
California must take immediate action for energy security
Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics. Please read our guidelines for opinion pieces before submitting an Op-Ed. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered for publication. OPINION – It’s impossible for Californians not to notice skyrocketing gas prices, and those prices hit the poor and working poor the hardest. […]
Gov. Newsom’s ‘Big Oil’ war creates collateral damage as private property values rendered worthless
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has made his war on the state’s oil and gas industry a hallmark of his administration. In 2023, he declared that he “took on Big Oil and won,” after passing laws requiring refiners to publicize data as part of an effort to find evidence of price gouging, which turned up none. […]
California’s Anti-Oil Policy Is On the Brink of Collapse
California’s war on oil and gas has delivered misery straight to the pump. Millions of motorists — especially the already overtaxed middle class — have been forced to swallow some of the highest fuel prices in the nation while Sacramento pats itself on the back. Refineries fleeing In just the last two weeks, California’s anti-oil […]
California Residents Challenge State Oil Well Buffer Law
Two California residents are challenging a state law that bans drilling new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of certain areas, alleging unlawful hurdles burdening mineral rights owners. The state law, SB 1137, “effectuates an uncompensated taking” of private property under the Fifth Amendment and “must be enjoined,” said the suit filed Tuesday with the […]
California oil and gas buffer law faces new legal challenge as tensions rise over property rights
SB1137 was passed in 2022 and fully enacted in 2024. It now faces multiple legal challenges SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A long-simmering clash between California lawmakers and oil and gas interests is escalating again, as mineral rights holders filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a state law that restricts drilling near homes, schools and hospitals. The […]
Pacific Legal Foundation Files Federal Lawsuit Over Oil Setback Law Banning Owners from Accessing Resources in their Mineral Estate
NARO-California, of the National Association of Royalty Owners, together with Pacific Legal Foundation announced Wednesday they filed a federal lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 1137, the 3,200-foot oil setback mandate that they argue violates the constitutional rights of oil and gas mineral and royalty owners. According to NARO-CA and Pacific Legal Foundation, SB 1137 amounts to an […]
Family challenges California ban on oil, gas wells near ‘sensitive receptors’
Two California siblings have sued their state over a law prohibiting the drilling of new oil and gas wells near certain spots, arguing it’s an uncompensated taking of their private property. John and Melinda Morgan claim Senate Bill 1137, passed in 2022, infringes the property rights their family has held for generations. They say California has […]
Calif.’s gasoline crisis is also tipping into a property rights crisis
Working Valley families and small business owners are already getting crushed by sky high gas prices, and the state’s anti oil policies could soon drive prices even higher. Analysts warn California could see prices hit seven or eight dollars this year, driven by refinery shutdowns and falling production that is putting major infrastructure at risk. […]
Oil, gas royalty owners sue California over setback law
Oil and gas rights-holders are suing the state of California over a law that blocks wells near homes and schools. The California chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners announced the lawsuit at a Sacramento news conference on Wednesday. The group partnered with the Pacific Legal Foundation to file the suit in federal court. […]