Meet the maverick California lawmakers who buck their party
I’m CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow, and I’m pinch hitting for Lynn today.
I’m CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow, and I’m pinch hitting for Lynn today. Democratic Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains learned the hard way that being a maverick has consequences.
In 2023, as a rookie lawmaker representing the oil-dependent Bakersfield region, Bains cast the lone Democratic vote against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bill that sought to penalize oil company profits.
Original reporting: CalMatters.
More in California
- UC Berkeley Lab Proposes New Civic Framework for California’s Next Governor
A research-driven agenda calls for institutionalizing 'co-governance' to address low public trust and lack of resident influence in state decision-making.
- Five Tax Measures on California’s Ballot Aim to Reshape State Finances
Propositions 3, 40–43 would alter income, wealth and local taxation rules—marking the highest number of tax measures on a general election ballot since 1994.
- Catalina Helicopter Crash Highlights Risks of Island Medevac Flights
A medical evacuation chopper carrying Catalina Romero, pilot, and nurse Jessica Devries crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff, killing all three; federal investigators are assessing causes including night flying, spatial disorientation, and the island’s challenging Pebbly Beach heliport.