CA Assemblymember Who Opposed Newsom's Gas Measure Is Stripped From a Key Committee

On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom mounted a national, “Campaign for Democracy,” to supposedly counter the agendas of red state “authoritarian” leaders (looking at you, Governor Ron DeSantis). On the heels of that ridiculous announcement, Newsom and his lackeys’ own authoritarianism continues to be on full display. Newsom has been on a tear to blame the high gas and energy prices in California on the few energy corporations that are left in the state; so, he ~~proposed~~ demanded a measure be instituted where state regulators punish oil refiners who profit from the money made in the state. Mind you, these gas taxes and regulations were instituted by Democrats, not the oil companies, and are resulting in rising fuel costs across the board. But logic is never the strong suit of Newsom or his progressive cohorts.

As if in lockstep, the Democrat supermajority legislature approved the measure on March 27 by a 52-19 vote. However, among the 19 who voted against the measure was ONE Democrat! <bring on the smelling salts>

Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) was unapologetic about her vote, and said so on Twitter.

Stand alone if you must, but always stand for the truth. As the lone Democrat to oppose the new gas tax, I will never throw my constituents under the bus. I will continue to fight for lower gas prices and a stronger Kern County. #StandAlone #GasTax pic.twitter.com/7jaJMac6ru

— Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains (@AsmJasmeetBains) March 28, 2023

Kern County is part of Bains’ District 35, and home to Kern Energy, a major fuel producer. So, yeah, Bains is not going to bite the hand that feeds her, and no doubt feeds a good majority of families in Kern who work for the producer or transact business in and around it. Thanks to the Republican leadership of the newest CA GOP Vice Chair Corrin Rankin, the Central Valley has been getting more and more red; so, a vote in favor of this bill would have put her at odds with a Republican candidate itching to flip her seat.

But the party of tolerance and democracy chose to act exceptionally intolerant and undemocratic. Newsom’s Chief of Staff responded to Bains’ tweet with what could only be seen as a veiled threat.

Alone and confused you shall likely remain.

— Dana Williamson (@danawill2023) March 28, 2023

As if on cue, on March 30, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) decided Bains was not allowed to exercise her freedom to vote in favor of her region, and decided to use her as an example of what happens when you try to be independent from the Democrat hive mind: Bains confirmed with KCRA correspondent Ashley Zavala that she had been stripped of a key committee assignment.

🧵JUST IN: The only Democrat to oppose Newsom's oil refiner penalty bill, Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, confirms in a statement tonight that Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon stripped her of a key committee.

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) March 31, 2023

The only Democratic Party state lawmaker who voted against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bill that could punish oil refiners for making too much money has been stripped of a key legislative committee.

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains confirmed in a statement to KCRA 3 on Thursday night that Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon removed her from the Assembly’s Business and Professions Committee.

“While I am disappointed, I remain firm in my commitment to serve the interests of the people I was elected to represent,” Bains said in a statement on Thursday. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Speaker and my colleagues to expand access to health care, provide good-paying jobs, and ensure our communities are safe.”

Bains represents parts of Kern County, an epicenter of California’s oil industry.

Authoritarian much? Seriously, Newsom is claiming he is pushing back against this type of rule in red states, but when it comes to his own party and their “leaders,” it’s still the order of the day, especially when you don’t follow the party agenda. As of Thursday and this writing, no comment from Rendon concerning this action has been reported.

KCRA 3 reached out to Rendon Thursday afternoon to ask why Bains had been stripped of the committee. Rendon’s office had not yet responded to the request for comment as of Thursday night.

Even the “homegrown team” Sacramento Bee deemed the move to be petty:

How petty and pointless of California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to punish the only member of his party in the assembly who voted against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to hold oil companies accountable for gas prices based on greed. Pointless, that is, unless the goal was to show that even token dissent will not be tolerated, and that the authoritarian impulse is contagious. Rendon removed Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, a family doctor and the daughter of Indian immigrants, from the Assembly Business and Professions Committee after she voted against creating a watchdog group at the California Energy Commission. The new group will collect data intended to improve transparency and keep companies from price gouging.

Petty, Pointless, and hypocritical.