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California Republicans battle one another over cap-and-trade

August 14, 2017

Jordan Cunningham

After months of quarreling between establishment and progressive Democrats, the California Republican Party now has an internal struggle over the recent extension of the state’s cap-and-trade program. [LA Times]

On July 17, eight Republican legislators, including Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), broke rank with their party and voted for the cap-and-trade bill. Launched in 2012, cap-and-trade is a controversial program designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions that requires many industrial companies to garner permits for emission allowances.

Companies can purchase the permits from other businesses or from auctions held by the California Air Resources Board. Portions of the costs are then passed on to taxpayers. Many Republicans view the program as a tax hike and a burdensome regulatory scheme.

In the aftermath of the vote, anger toward the Republicans who supported the bill has erupted at town halls and tea party gatherings. At a state tea party event in Fresno over the weekend, former Assemblyman Tim Donnelly called on Republicans statewide to take down Republican Assembly leader Chad Mayes, who voted for the cap-and-trade bill.

Mayes has faced at least one challenge over his leadership position since last month’s vote and more challenges may come. It would take a majority vote of the California Assembly Republican Caucus to oust Mayes as the group’s leader.

In addition to anger over the vote, there has been outcry over Mayes and other Republican legislators being photographed with Gov. Jerry Brown on the day the cap-and-trade bill passed. Mayes posed for a photo that day in which he is seen smiling in between Brown and the Democratic leaders of both the Assembly and state Senate.

One of the July 17 photos captured Cunningham speaking with Brown. Cunningham did not appear to be posing in the picture though.

Cunningham defended his vote for the cap-and-trade bill by releasing a statement saying the legislation will reduce taxes and aid California businesses.

“Today my colleagues and I were able to reduce the costs of taxes, fees and regulations by $16 billion a year,” Cunningham said. “This bill ends the fire tax permanently and extends a manufacturing tax credit that will keep jobs in California. We have commitments that revenues from the auction will support agriculture, help farmers upgrade their technology and enable local fire departments to buy new trucks and equipment.”

Other Republicans have defended the vote as a needed compromise, saying California is overwhelmingly supportive of measures to combat climate change, and the minority party ought to have some say over how the cap-and-trade funds are spent.

A recent poll conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute found that more than half of Californians had never heard of the cap-and-trade program. Once the program was described to them, 56 percent of those polled said they supported it, including 54 percent of decline to state voters and 32 percent of Republicans.

The same poll indicated nearly 75 percent of Californians support a 2016 law requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.


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Cap and trade is nothing but a money grubbing scam, its designed to put money in the gooberments hand and has nothing to do with smog, emissions or the tax paying public,it puts money in moonbeams pocket to waste on the bullit train and other boondoggles that the ruling bunch have up their sleeve,its a feelgood measure for the do gooders and lefties.


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” We have commitments that revenues from the auction will…..”


Commitments from democrats? I hate to tell you but that is just a slow motion lie.


BTW I’d love to see an honest accounting of where the money from these permits to pollute go. You can bet some high party officials or their friends are getting rich from it.


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Greenhouse gases? Global swarming? Cap and Trade, bullet train, welfare for illegals but cuts to disabled citizens? All brought to you by those you trusted to do the right thing, and all scams.

Vote the corrupt-0-dems and RINOs out and recall the rest.


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Jordan Cunningham is a tax hiking traitor, and needs to be removed from office.


Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham has betrayed Central Coast taxpayers and his decision to support Democratic ‘Cap & Trade’ legislation shows that he lacks conservative credentials, and is mostly interested in a ‘go along to get along’ relationship with the leftists in Sacramento.


Clearly, Central Coast voters were fooled by the Cunningham campaign, and his deception as a candidate is becoming clearer and clearer. We should not tolerate two-faced politicians who essentially ‘steal’ our voice through their deception.


I say dump politician Jordan Cunningham, a liberal in conservative clothes.


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Reduces taxes, fees and regulations by $16 billion? You bet. What will the savings be to the taxpayers? The fire tax was a scam from day1. It had nothing to do with fire supression. It just initiated another form of government. This will be just like the school lottery scam. Yes they poured all of the lottery money into schools just like they said they would. But they forgot to tell you that they also took away the budgeted money for schools and that is why there has been no improvement for education in California as it too falls to the bottom of the list.

I would not hold your breath waiting for a savings from taxes, fees and regulations, it will never and has never happened.


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Sorry Jordan Cunningham, you don’t have my vote if you decide to run again.


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“A recent poll conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute found that more than half of Californians had never heard of the cap-and-trade program. Once the program was described to them, 56 percent of those polled said they supported it, including 54 percent of decline to state voters and 32 percent of Republicans.”


This is meaningless because at least half of California is clueless. Afterall, a majority voted for the ridiculous “Bullet Train.” As long as something sound cool, “it’s cool, bro.”


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I wonder how much “broke” California spent on partially customizing our on and off ramps with Spanish pavers. Seems pretty ridiculous, they still have to cut the weeds and vegetation on the two thirds they didn’t beautify, so it wasn’t about saving on maintenance. This is the problem with California government, they aren’t showing good fiduciary responsibility. We want our tax dollars spent in ways that help protect and serve the public or resolve issues that are vital.


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Until partisanship is set aside the Dems rule California. I would of thought by now the Dems would have bankrupted the State and maybe they have? Caltrans is to broke to put in a cross walk at a bus stop that exist on their highway yet they are vigilant about the developer putting in the accessibility ramps at the sidewalk’s end. I think about that which they have stopped doing and wonder if they are at the point where payroll and pensions are all they can afford and borrow to do any work? As we go to work, may of us can think of a handful of people, that we know, that have already retired many years ago and they most likely worked in a government job, tax funded. Remember it is the Dems who are notorious about raising taxes for the public benefit and oh yes, a benefit they are likely paid to perform.


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