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Written by: Editor

Published: 13 January 2016

California drivers are once again paying for the most expensive gas in the nation and will continue to experience price swings in the near future, due to statewide refinery issues.

According to the latest AAA Fuel Gauge Report, pump prices are up $0.17 with the average price of unleaded regular at $2.85 per gallon as of today.

The least expensive fuel can be found in Marysville, where the average price for a gallon of regular is $2.44. The highest price is in San Francisco, where the average price is $2.826 a gallon, up $0.06 from the last AAA gas survey.

“California continues to weather ongoing refinery issues and remains the most expensive state for gasoline,” said Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokesperson. “California ranks third in the nation in refining capacity and refineries in the state typically operate at higher-than-average levels to meet demane.”

Disruptions in gas production generally lead to noticeable spikes in the price at the pump, which are often exacerbated due to the market’s relative isolation and specific fuel requirements.

Consumers in the region will likely experience price swings in the near term due to both planned and unplanned maintenance, and this could increase the national average price of gas even as prices drop in other parts of the country.

Nationally, prices has decreased in 45 states and continue to drop to multi-year lows, with today’s average price of $1.96 per gallon representing the cheapest average price at the pump since March 23, 2009.

Both oil benchmarks have posted losses for every day of trading in 2016, and as a result, closed out the week at lows unseen in more than a decade.

Expectations that prices will continue to hover at multi-year lows are beginning to surface and market watchers are paying close attention to both China and the Middle East.

Growth in China’s economy was once seen as a factor that could offset some of the market’s imbalance, though there is more uncertainty now that concerns over its economy continue to grow.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) closed out Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX down 11 cents, settling at $33.16 per barrel.

This represents a loss of approximately 10 percent on the week and was the benchmark’s lowest settlement since Feb. 9, 2004.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 12 January 2016

SACRAMENTO – Personal income tax revenues continued to surpass expectations in December, pushing the month’s total state collections $381.7 million, or 2.8 percent, higher than expected, State Controller Betty T. Yee reported Monday.

“It’s encouraging to see the state’s continued fiscal strength,” Yee said. “But as Gov. Brown stressed in his budget proposal last week, we need to be aware that the good times will not last forever. As the state’s chief fiscal officer, I will be closely monitoring revenues to detect signals of a downturn.”

Total revenues for December were $14.1 billion. Personal income tax for the month came in at $9.5 billion, $388.3 million more than expected when the budget was enacted last summer. Corporation tax revenues of $1.7 billion beat projections by $25.8 million, or 1.5 percent.

These gains were offset slightly by retail sales and use tax revenues of $2.4 billion, short of estimates by $35.8 million, or 1.5 percent.

For the first half of the fiscal year that began in July, total revenues of $51.1 billion exceeded projections by $884.6 million, or 1.8 percent, with higher-than-expected personal income tax revenues more than offsetting shortfalls in the corporation tax and the sales and use tax.

Personal income tax since the beginning of the fiscal year beat estimates by $1.3 billion, or 3.9 percent. The corporation tax fell short by $120.6 million, or 3.6 percent, while the sales and use tax slipped $262.5 million, or 2.1 percent, compared to projections.

This month’s edition of the Controller’s California Fiscal Focus analyzes the influence of low interest rates on state and local government borrowing. For more details on that and other fiscal trends, see the cash report..

The state ended the month of December with $11.1 billion in outstanding loans – $1.4 billion, or 11.4 percent, less than expected.

For the first year in 15 years, the state is covering month-to-month shortfalls exclusively through internal borrowing from special funds rather than external loans, such as revenue anticipation notes.

The improved fiscal condition of the General Fund, the source of most state spending, has saved the state tens of millions of dollars in interest costs.

For more details, read the monthly cash report.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 07 January 2016

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture, on behalf of the Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC), seeks to appoint six members to the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC).

The secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, acting as administrative lead, is requesting nominations for qualified persons to serve on the CISAC.

The purpose and role of the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee is to provide advice to the Invasive Species Council of California on a broad array of issues related to preventing the introduction of invasive species and providing for their control and/or eradication, as well as minimizing the economic, ecological, and human health impacts that invasive species cause.

The ISCC is chaired by the secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and vice-chaired by the secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.

Other members include the secretaries from the following California agencies:

• Environmental Protection Agency;
• State Transportation Agency;
• Health and Human Services Agency; and
• Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The Invasive Species Council of California represents the highest level of leadership and authority in state government regarding invasive species. Its goal is to promote a consistent approach to invasive species at the state level.

The role of the CISAC is to maintain an intensive and regular dialogue regarding the aforementioned issues. CISAC provides advice in cooperation with other stakeholders and existing organizations addressing invasive species.

Prospective nominees of the CISAC should be knowledgeable in and represent one or more of the following communities of interest:

- Biology – industry representatives;
- Ranchers – educators;
- Foresters – tribal government representatives;
- Farmers – information/database managers;
- Academics/researchers – economists;
- Public health specialists – risk assessment analysts;
- Weed science – entomology;
- Nematology – plant pathology;
- Veterinary medicine – public health/ epidemiology;
- Federal government representatives;
- County agricultural commissioner representatives;
- Invasive species management specialists;
- Persons involved with global commerce;
- Non-governmental environmental representatives;
- Expertise in climate change and ecosystems;
- Public relations specialists;
- Lawyers specializing in invasive species policy;
- Public member.

Members will be selected in order to achieve a balanced representation of viewpoints, so to effectively address invasive species issues under consideration.

No member may serve on the CISAC for more than two consecutive terms. All terms will be limited to three years in length.

Members of the CISAC and its subcommittees will serve without pay. However, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services of the CISAC, members, to the extent funding is available, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence.

Nominations should be typed and should include the following:

1. A brief summary of no more than two pages explaining the nominee’s suitability to serve on the CISAC.
2. A resume or curriculum vitae.
3. At least two letters of reference.

Nominations should be postmarked no later than Friday, March 11, to the following address: David Pegos, Invasive Species Council of California, Executive Office, 1220 N St., Suite 221, Sacramento, California 95814.

For additional information, visit the Invasive Species Council of California’s Web site at www.iscc.ca.gov .