GOP leader who backed cap, trade steps down
SACRAMENTO — Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley (San Bernardino County) stepped down from his leadership post Thursday after weeks of challenges stemming from his support of climate change legislation.
Assemblyman Brian Dahle of Bieber (Lassen County) will replace Mayes as the GOP Assembly leader after the legislative session ends Sept. 15. Mayes announced the shakeup during Thursday’s Assembly floor session, saying he supported Dahle as his replacement.
“Brian Dahle will be an effective leader for the caucus and will continue our work to move the Republican Party toward greater relevance and
viability in California,” Mayes said in a statement. “I am proud to support him.”
Mayes was elected to the Assembly in 2014 at 38 years old and was tapped last year to take over the Republican caucus from then-Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto.
Mayes came under fire last month after he helped Democrats extend the state’s capand-trade program, which is loathed by many Republicans. Cap and trade is a marketbased approach to curbing greenhouse gas emissions, where companies are forced to buy permits, called allowances, for every metric ton of gas they emit. Critics argue that the system is a regulatory burden that drives up costs that are passed on to consumers.
Mayes was one of eight Republicans to support the legislation to extend the program through 2030. The legislation required support from two-thirds of the Senate and Assembly, which Democrats have in both houses, but after intense lobbying it became clear that some Assembly Democrats, particularly those in swing districts, would not support the bill.
With a handful of Republican votes, the bill passed with one vote to spare. Mayes said he supported the state’s cap-and-trade program because the changes he helped negotiate added flexibility and transparency. He said it would be “irresponsible to do nothing.”
Dahle voted against the bill that prompted conservative activists to target Mayes. Among those putting pressure on Mayes to step aside was Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who said the issues went beyond Mayes supporting climate change legislation. Dhillon said Mayes betrayed the party’s core principles of reducing regulatory and tax burdens in the state in what she called a poorly negotiated deal.
Dhillon said in addition to that, with so many Republicans signing onto the bill, several Democrats in swing districts were able to vote against or abstain from the vote, giving them political cover.
“Because of this, I no longer had confidence in him to protect conservative voters,” she said.
Mayes was able to hold on to his position after a vote this week to force him out came up short. Another vote had been scheduled for next week.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), called Mayes a “good man who worked hard to balance doing what was right for California and meeting the needs of his caucus.” Rendon and Mayes talked about their strong working relationship, often joking about their “bromance.”
“Personally, I will miss working with Chad as Republican Leader,” Rendon said in a statement. “But make no mistake, the bromance will endure.”
The Assembly Republican caucus described Dahle as having a reputation “as a conservative who knows how to work with both parties to stand up and deliver for his rural constituents.” Dahle, a farmer by trade, was first elected to the Assembly in 2012.
“We have to stay focused on building a relevant party that can win more elections so that Republicans have more influence on public policy,” Dahle said in a statement.