California Under Liz Ortega

Assemblymember Liz Ortega's votes and stances pose grave dangers to California and Assembly District 20 by prioritizing big-government mandates over affordability, safety, and freedoms. Her support for AB 1421 advances a mileage tax that could add hundreds in annual costs to commuting families amid record-high gas prices (61.2 cents/gallon excise tax), exacerbating economic flight. Opposing gas tax relief burdens residents in car-dependent AD20. Voting against AB 844 endangers women in sports by allowing biological males in female spaces, risking injuries and privacy. 

Backing AB 1955 undermines parental rights, potentially harming children's mental health through secret gender affirmations. Her 100% progressive scorecard fuels overregulation, crime leniency, and fiscal irresponsibility, threatening prosperity in this diverse district. 

Assemblymember Liz Ortega has demonstrated an anti-Californian stance on tax relief by aligning with Democrats to block or ignore Republican proposals for suspending the state's gasoline excise tax, which stands at 61.2 cents per gallon as of February 2026. For instance, during the 2025 session, when Assembly Republicans moved to withdraw AB 12 to rescind the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) gas tax component, the motion was sidestepped, and no suspension advanced—reflecting her party's refusal to provide relief amid soaring prices. This inaction burdens families with the nation's highest gas costs, prioritizing environmental mandates over affordability and economic hardship for commuters. 

Assemblymember Liz Ortega's "YES" vote on AB 1421 on January 29, 2026, shows her strong support for advancing California's proposed mileage tax—also known as a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or road usage charge—which would track and tax drivers for every mile they drive, adding yet another heavy financial burden on working families already crushed by the nation's highest gas taxes and skyrocketing cost of living. This regressive policy would hit middle- and lower-income households hardest, as they often endure longer commutes due to unaffordable housing near jobs, effectively punishing them for going to work, school, or errands while letting wealthier urban residents pay less proportionally. By backing this big-government scheme, Ortega prioritizes environmental mandates and revenue grabs over everyday affordability in a state where families are fleeing due to runaway costs. Reported data underscores the severe impact: a typical family driving 20,000 miles a year could face hundreds of dollars in new annual taxes, pushing many deeper into financial hardship; delivery drivers, tradespeople, and small businesses would see higher operating costs passed on to consumers, inflating prices for groceries, goods, and services statewide; lower-income and rural residents—who drive more out of necessity—would bear the brunt, potentially reducing essential trips and worsening access to jobs, healthcare, and opportunities; and while the shift aims to offset projected gas tax revenue losses of up to $31.3 billion over the next decade from rising electric vehicle adoption, it risks double-taxing drivers without fixing underlying infrastructure inefficiencies or addressing the root causes of California's fiscal mess. This is not progress—it's another tax hike that squeezes families when they can least afford it. 

Assemblymember Liz Ortega's vote against AB 844 on April 1, 2025, was a dangerous betrayal of women and girls. By helping kill this bill in committee, she blocked protections requiring school sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms to be segregated by biological sex at birth—allowing biological males to compete in girls' athletics and invade female private spaces. This exposes female athletes to unfair competition, where male strength and speed advantages crush girls' opportunities, scholarships, and safety, while increasing injury risks. It also strips girls of privacy and dignity in vulnerable locker-room settings. Ortega's ideological choice sacrifices women's hard-earned rights and Title IX protections for political correctness. 

Assemblymember Liz Ortega's Yes vote on AB 1955 was a profoundly dangerous betrayal of children's mental health. By helping enact this law, she enabled schools to secretly affirm a child's gender identity change—without ever notifying parents—cutting families out of the most critical moments in a child's life. From a conservative perspective, this secrecy is catastrophic: vulnerable kids facing confusion, distress, or social pressure can be rushed into irreversible social or medical transitions without parental guidance, support, or oversight. Parents, who know their child best, are deliberately excluded from conversations that could prevent harm, catch underlying issues like trauma or depression, or provide loving intervention. Studies and whistleblower accounts show that many detransitioners later regret rushed decisions made in isolation, often leading to profound depression, anxiety, and lifelong regret. By shielding schools from parental involvement, Ortega's vote risks pushing troubled children toward experimental paths that amplify mental health crises rather than resolve them. This isn't protection—it's state-sponsored concealment that endangers kids' emotional stability, fractures families, and prioritizes radical ideology over children's well-being.