Big Oil pumps over 200 million barrels of oil and 240 million MCF of natural gas out of California’s lands and oceans every year without ever paying their fair share for either. Alaska charges between 25-50%, North Dakota 11.5% and even Texas charges 7.5%.

In fact, California is the only major oil-producing state in the nation that gives oil companies a free ride.

Our schools and colleges are underfunded, our roads and bridges are falling apart, and unemployment remains above 9%. We simply cannot afford to give Big Oil a free ride while Californians are asked to pay more and more. It's time to stop giving away California’s resources and invest in what California needs.

That's why students organized under the name "Californians for Responsible Economic Development" and proposed the California Modernization and Economic Development (CMED) Act to make this change:

$0 (from us) + 9.5% (from Big Oil) =

$1,200,000,000 for lowering tuition and reducing class sizes

$440,000,000 for greener businesses and more jobs

$366,000,000 for parks, counties and cities

Sign this petition to support our ballot initiative and let Big Oil know that the people of California are done giving away our resources.

Big Oil lobbyists have defeated every effort in the Legislature in order to protect their $158 billion dollars in annual profits. It's time they pay their fair share for the oil and gas they extract from our state to sell on the global market.

Visit CMEDAct.org and facebook.com/cmedact to learn more.