California Republican lawmakers create their own Hispanic caucus, following exclusion from Latino caucus

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — After Democrats barred them from joining California’s Legislative Latino Caucus, some Republican state lawmakers are forming a new group to advocate for policies they say will represent and benefit Latinos across the state.

In an exclusive interview with KCRA 3 on Tuesday, State Sen. Suzette Valladares and Assemblymember Kate Sanchez said they have officially formed the California Hispanic Legislative Caucus. They confirmed lawmakers from both parties are welcome to be a part of the new group.

“For too long, Latino families in California have been priced out of the California dream,” Valladares said. “This election cycle, the Latino community sent a very clear mandate to Sacramento saying they want us to focus on issues of affordability, safe communities and success in school, which is why after a historic election of 9 Republican Latino Legislators, we decided to launch our own caucus.”

The caucus is not yet an official legislative group and is currently a non-profit organization.

The Democratic-led California Latino Legislative Caucus is a non-profit, an official legislative group, and has a political action committee that raises funds and campaigns for Latino Democrats.

Valladares and Sanchez said they have asked legislative leaders for the same amount of taxpayer-funded resources provided to the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Payroll records show California taxpayers spend $576,449 on two consultants and a handful of staff for the Democratic-led group.

As of Tuesday night, KCRA 3 was still waiting for a comment from State Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on the request.

“It’s interesting you’re looking at half a million dollars in money from our taxpayers and they’re not identifying if they’re Democrat or Republican, they’re taking all taxpayer money,” Sanchez said. “We would like to have equal representation.”

Sanchez and Valladares said the mission statement of their new caucus is “advancing economic prosperity, empowerment, and well-being for Hispanic Californians.”

“We are here to represent the millions of Latinos across this state who want safer communities, better jobs, and a government that works for them—not against them,” the mission statement says.

Valladares and Sanchez said this year the group will focus on affordability, public safety and education.

The group’s formation comes as a record number of Republican Latino state lawmakers serve in the state legislature this term with nine members.

It also comes as the Democratic leader of California’s Legislative Latino Caucus confirmed Republicans are still not allowed in that group. State Sen. Lena Gonzalez told KCRA 3 the group has historically been made up entirely of Democrats, and noted the Republicans have yet to speak out against President Donald Trump’s immigration-related actions including his push for mass deportations.

KCRA 3 reached out to Gonzalez for comment, but did not hear back as of Tuesday night.

When asked for their stance on the President’s immigration-related actions, Valladares and Sanchez acknowledged members of the new caucus have varying points of view. Both noted immigration is a federal issue.

“The reason why we were elected is because people cannot afford the basics,” Valladares said. “People are afraid to go to the grocery stores and look at that bill when they get to the cash register. Our immigrant community cares about the quality education that they’re not getting right now.”

The new California Hispanic Legislative Caucus is so far made up of a handful of Republican Latinos, but not all of them.

Senator Valladares and Assemblywoman Sanchez are the co-chairs. Other members include Assemblymembers Juan Alanis, Josh Hoover, Jeff Gonzalez, Alexandra Macedo, and State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil.

State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh is not part of the group, officials confirmed.

“As elected officials, including myself as a Senator, we are tasked with representing all of our constituents—not just those who share my ethnicity,”Ochoa-Bogh said in a statement. “I have serious concerns about the formation of ethnic-based caucuses, as they can be discriminatory toward individuals whose backgrounds do not align with those of the group. America has made it clear: people are tired of identity politics. While these caucuses may aim to support shared experiences, they risk creating division and exclusion, leading to unintended consequences that arise from working in silos and echo chambers.”

She added that she maintained an “open-door policy” to meet with everyone.

Members Emeritus of the new caucus include former Assemblyman Bob Pacheco (1998-2004), and former Assemblywoman & former UC Board of Regents Member Charlene Gonzales Zettel (1998-2002), Sanchez and Valladares said.

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