Six weeks ago gasoline in California averaged about $2.25 a gallon, the lowest price in years. Then prices zoomed up a buck and more. Today, according to GasBuddy.com, the average price in California is $3.38 a gallon.

That’s the highest in the country, above even the usual highest state, Hawaii, which is $3.15. The lowest is South Carolina, at $2.14.

Finally, relief should be coming. California uses special blends of gas unique only to our state to reduce pollution. So a strike by refinery workers caused shortages, driving up the cost for everybody.

Now the strike is over. Reported the Los Angeles Times:

The United Steelworkers reached a tentative contract with Shell Oil Co. on Thursday after more than a month of contentious talks and strikes, union officials said. …

The previous contract, which covered 30,000 refinery workers nationwide, expired at the end of January. On Feb. 1, the union called for work stoppages, which at last count included 6,500 workers at 15 facilities.

Two California plants owned by Tesoro Corp. in Carson and Martinez were affected. As a safety precaution, the company decided to idle production at the Martinez plant, half of which had already been undergoing maintenance.

Assuming the contract is ratified by workers and prices start dropping, that’s just in time for some fun vacation driving during Easter Break.

Sacramento – The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) will consider lowering the excise tax rate for gasoline by $0.075 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 during its February 24, 2015 meeting in Culver City.

Since 2010, the “fuel tax swap” law has required the Board to adjust this tax rate by March 1st of each year. If adopted, between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, the excise tax rate on gasoline will be $0.285 per gallon. The current excise tax rate of $0.36 is in effect until June 30, 2015.

The excise tax on gasoline pays for public road improvements and mass transit. In FY 13-14, the BOE collected nearly $5.8 billion for the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account, Transportation Tax Fund. Sales tax funds a variety of state and local programs.

If the tax cut happens, it could offset the cap-and-tax trade increase that went into effect on Jan. 1.

Although there were warnings the cap-and-trade tax increase could be as much as 75 cents a gallon, it’s turning out to be more like 10 cents.

So if the BOE follows through, it will counteract most of that.

As of today, according to GasBuddy.com, California has the country’s second highest average gas price, at $2.80 per gallon. Highest is Hawaii, at $3.02.

Lowest is Utah, at $1.92, followed by Idaho, $1.93; Montana, $1.97; and Wyoming, $1.99 — all Western neighbors. Although Nevada is fairly high, at $2.44.

Big competitor Texas is $2.10.

By John Seiler

The following picture is from GasBuddy.com, which tracks gas prices nationally. The cheapest gas, as you can see, is in Texas and the Southeast. The most expensive by far is in California during the ongoing crisis because of the refinery fire and whatever nuttiness otherwise goes on in this state. Even thought California has a special blend of gas, during crises the state regulators could allow imports from other states for a brief time. Nothing would be hurt. Consumers would benefit.

But Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

California has to be special and take another club to the backs of consumers. The only good thing to come out of this is that voters, having been gouged at the pump and with their wallets emptied, might be in no mood to increase taxes in November.