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Sen. Becker expands anti-gouging law to cover wartime emergencies
Summary
Sen. Becker introduced SB 493 to add 'war' to the types of emergencies that can trigger California's anti-price-gouging protections; consumer advocates urged passage, while business groups warned the change could over-trigger emergency authority without clear guardrails.
Sen. Becker (author) told the committee SB 493 would "simply add[] war to a list of emergencies that can activate California's anti price gouging laws," saying the measure does not create new protections but extends existing ones to a new category of emergencies.
Alexis Sutterman, representing BrightLine Defense, testified the bill would protect working-class Californians from sudden fuel-price spikes tied to international conflict. "These families have the least financial cushion to absorb sudden crises," she said, noting California gas rose from $4.64 to $5.99 per gallon after the Iran conflict and that branded refiners have contributed to an unusually large price gap.
Opponents including Robert Mucci of the California Chamber of Commerce argued the bill could allow price‑gouging emergency declarations whenever the United States is engaged in military operations and "over-trigger" protections even where no local supply emergency exists. Deborah Carlton of the California Apartment Association warned the measure could have unintended effects in housing markets and criticized reliance on a discretionary attorney‑general opinion.
The author accepted committee amendments clarifying that wartime activation requires an attorney general finding of a sufficient nexus between the conflict and specific price increases; Sen. Becker said he and staff will continue discussions with stakeholders before further action.
