Rallies planned across California as activists pressure GOP House members on tax vote

With another round of votes looming on the Republicans’ tax overhaul bill, Democratic activists are planning a series of protests and rallies across the state to pressure GOP members to oppose it.

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is the target of at least a couple of those events, starting Monday when activists plan to dress up in Santa suits and hand out “lumps of coal” with notes attached saying Royce “has been naughty and endangers your family” with his previous tax vote.

Activists with a local Indivisible group are also expected to rally outside his Brea office Wednesday afternoon.

Royce was one of 11 California Republicans who voted in favor of the GOP tax bill last month, despite the fact that it’s expected to have an outsized impact on California taxpayers.

Events targeting Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley), Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) are also planned.

Lawmakers still have to hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the tax plan, after Senate Republicans passed theirs early Saturday morning. Final votes on the package could come as early as the end of this week.

The three GOP members who voted against the measure, Reps. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Darrell Issa of Vista, will also be hearing from activists this week.

A rally will be held at UC San Diego in Issa’s district Monday evening, hosted by local activists and a group calling themselves SoCal Healthcare Coalition. The event, originally scheduled as an “empty chair” town hall featuring Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), was changed at the last minute after Gomez was instructed to stay in Washington for potential votes this week.

Labor groups and other activists are also planning actions outside McClintock’s Roseville office Tuesday morning and outside Rohrabacher’s Huntington Beach office later that day.

The vote on the tax package has been especially contentious for Republican members in California, many of whom represent districts that would be heavily affected by changes to deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes.

Learn more at L.A. Times