After a petroleum lobbying group asked for help amid a huge drop in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Newsom killed a proposal to add oil regulators.
Putting a stop to the 128 extra geologists, analysts and engineers wasn't done to save the state money – the oil industry would have been required to pay for them under the new regulatory framework.
Judging by how Chevron and other oil companies have drilled and spilled in California, I'd say we need all the regulatory staffing we can get.
I guess the oil lobby's cries of COVID-19 hardship found a receptive audience in Sacramento.