Just days after surviving a vote that would have removed him as leader of the California Assembly’s Republican Party, Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley announced Thursday morning he will step down. Mayes came under fire since joining seven other Republicans last month to vote in favor of extending California’s cap-and-trade program to 2030. Mayes told lawmakers during a floor session yesterday that he would step down as caucus leader before the end of the legislative session next month and Assemblyman Brian Dahl of Bieber would succeed him. Another vote to remove Mayes had been scheduled for next week. Mayes said he convinced seven other Republicans to vote for the Democratic cap-and-trade program because it would show voters that Republicans are serious about tackling an issue important to Californians, but his opponents contend that the program, which requires businesses to buy permits to emit greenhouse gases, will increase costs for California businesses and ignored the wishes of his caucus of 25 Republicans.
