Arizona lawmaker pushes to end EPA‑mandated fuel blend amid rising gas prices

PHOENIX — A top Republican lawmaker at the Arizona Capitol is pushing for new strategies to bring down gas prices, arguing the state needs to take action to cut back on its higher-than-average fuel costs.

“We need the private industry coming on and looking at solutions for us,” House Majority Whip Julie Willoughby told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday. “We need the state-level government looking into his, and that’s what I’m doing.”

What does she want to do to lower gas prices in Arizona?

One of her proposals is to temporarily end the state gas tax from May through September when drivers are required to use EPA‑mandated blended fuels.

She also wants to re‑evaluate the fuel requirements for Arizona gas because she questions whether they meaningfully reduce pollution.

“In 2020, ASU did a study when we had the stay-at-home orders. (There was) 35% less traffic on the road. No change to CO2 or NO2 at all,” Willoughby said. “So how is this blend doing what we’re supposed to be doing with the EPA?”

Specifically, she called for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to conduct a new study on the effectiveness of blended fuels, especially as the state faces the loss of its primary out‑of‑state suppliers, such as the Phillips 66 oil refinery in Los Angeles, which closed last November.

The refinery fed into Las Vegas and Phoenix, and with another oil refinery owned by Valero in the Bay Area set to close in April, the clock is ticking, Willoughby said.

“It means a lot because Nevada has to have the same gas. So, we’re going to be competing for that gas no matter where it comes from,” Willoughby said. “Right now, there’s no other pipeline. So, that means we’re going to be shipping, right? So, those costs go up.”

State Republican calls for Arizona to construct its own oil refinery

While some of her proposals address immediate needs, her real focus is on a long‑term fix.

“We have to end the blend. We have to get out of it because we cannot be solely reliant on California,” Willoughby said.

She added that doing so makes Arizona beholden to the policies of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who she jokingly referred to as “Vladimir Newsom.”

“I would like to see Arizona sustainable on its own, having our own refinery, creating our own blend special for us that we can check with the DEQ weights and measures if it is actually affecting and make real time adjustments quickly, not waiting for everyone else to do it,” Willoughby said.

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