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Controller Cohen Calls Emergency Session of State Lands Commission on Offshore Oil

California State Controller Malia M. Cohen, as Chair of the State Lands Commission, called on March 16, 2026 for an emergency session of the Commission in response to Trump Administration orders directing Sable Offshore Corp. to restart offshore oil operations on California's coast. Cohen urged the Commission to join Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta in challenging Sable's reliance on the Defense Production Act and directed staff to terminate the lease if Sable operates without required state regulatory approvals. The Controller cited a March 13, 2020 Consent Decree between the United States, California agencies, and Sable's predecessor Plains All American Pipeline as the legal foundation for California's jurisdiction.