California's average gas price is now over $5 a gallon after a nearly 14 cent a gallon spike overnight.
The morning's Triple-A state average report is $5.07 for regular gas, ranking California at the top of the list for most expensive prices in the country, and now the first state in the nation to exceed $5. Los Angeles and San Francisco were the first cities reported in the state to break the threshold, but now Mono County has the most expensive gas at $5.69. The cheapest reported gas pump that can be found currently is $4.79 in Yuba County. Prices at the pump have soared in recent years in part because of changes at some West Coast refineries, as well as state gas taxed and fees that contribute to state cost.
Lawmakers are also pointing fingers at multiple avenues - official statements from The White House believe that the higher prices are to be blamed solely on the Russian war, where the conflict in Ukraine is impacting gas prices worldwide. But some lawmakers insist that it's the Biden administration's policies against more drilling in the U.S. that are to blame.
Currently, there are now nine states — California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania, where the average price is already over $4 a gallon.