California Democrats to investigate cause of high gas prices

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - Lawmakers in the California State Assembly have announced they will investigate oil companies they say are “abusing a historic situation to suck profits from californians’ wallets.”

This as California drivers are paying more than $6 for a gallon of gas and state officials have been deadlocked for months over how to provide relief.

A bipartisan committee is being called on to investigate gas price gouging with plans to question oil companies, regulators and economists to find out why California’s gas prices are consistently the highest in the country.

California’s gas prices are currently the highest in the U.S., with the average price per gallon at $6.40 on Monday compared to the national average of $4.98.

Republicans are mocking the investigation, blaming Democrats for California’s record-high gas prices because they have refused to temporarily stop taxing gasoline as other states have done to control costs.

Meanwhile, Democrats say they fear suspending the gas tax would benefit only big oil companies, whom state regulators accused in the past of artificially inflating prices in a state that has more than 36 million registered vehicles on the road.