She’s a Central Valley doctor. Why did lawmaker skip CA votes on pesticide bills?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Asm. Jasmeet Bains skipped votes on pesticide and PFAS bills, raising concern.
- Her office cites cost of living and district poverty as rationale.
- Advocates cite donations from agribusiness and pest control PACs influencing votes.
Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, has made improving health care one of her top priorities since she was elected to the California Legislature in 2022. Bains works as a family doctor in Kern County, an area with some of the worst industrial air pollution in the state and country.
So it came as a surprise for farmworker advocates that Bains, who represents the birthplace of the modern farmworker movement, has declined to vote on a number of bills related to toxic pesticides and other chemicals.
Bains’ office cited the cost of living as a reason she withheld support. She is challenging Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, for a competitive Central Valley congressional seat next year.
Pesticides are a part of life in Kern County, which is the nation’s third-highest crop producer and has nearly 1 million acres of farmland dedicated to growing fruits, nuts and vegetables of every variety.
Some of the pesticides have been linked to numerous health risks including cancer, respiratory problems and neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease. The state has adopted regulations in an effort to prevent pesticide drift, which can sicken residents and harm other farmers’ crops.
A review of Bains’ voting record shows she has failed to log votes on a number of bills to regulate pesticides and “forever chemicals,” including on legislation opposed by her campaign donors.
In her first term, she declined to vote on proposals to hike fees on pesticide sales, require the state to reevaluate the safety of a common weed killer and limit the use of a pesticide that has been blamed for harming pollinator populations, among others.
This year, Bains initially skipped casting votes on two bills to crack down on PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” One currently sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk would phase out PFAS in nonstick cookware. Another, which did not ultimately pass, would have put tighter regulations on food packaging made with PFAS.
During her nearly three years in the Legislature, Bains has earned a reputation as a moderate Democrat who is unafraid to buck her party on certain issues. She was punished by Assembly leaders early in her first term for voting against a bill backed by Newsom to crack down on oil company profits.
She was also the only Democrat to vote against Newsom’s mid-decade congressional redraw, which is before voters in a special election that ends Nov. 4.
Despite serving as a full-time state lawmaker, Bains has continued to work as a family physician in her home city of Delano and cited GOP-led cuts to health care as her main motivation to run for Congress.
Health vs. cost of living
Farm worker advocates said the missed votes were disappointing, particularly for a lawmaker who often touts her experience as a doctor in one of the state’s poorest areas with the worst health factors.
“Respiratory issues already run big in the Central Valley,” said Ignasio Castillo, a Bakersfield native whose farm worker father spends long days toiling in the region’s citrus orchards. “As a physician and legislator, I think your voting record should reflect alongside what you preach.”
Castillo has met Bains on several occasions through local politics. He praised her as a “really candid, honest, colorful” person and acknowledged her work as a physician in the community.
But her missed votes, particularly on those dealing with pesticides, left him questioning the assemblymember’s commitment to her constituents’ health. Roughly 130,000 people work farm jobs in Kern County, and 75% of Bains’ constituents are Latino.
“It’s really unfortunate because she has a big constituency of people who work in agriculture,” he said. “As a doctor as well, I’m sure she has an understanding that when you are exposed to chemicals like these, they have long-term effects.”
Bains did not respond to a request for comment, but a member of her staff said California’s high cost of living factors heavily into her decisions to support bills.
“Dr. Bains withholds her support from bills that fail to strike the right balance between public health concerns, sound science and impacts to the cost of living,” Adam Capper, the assemblywoman’s legislative director, wrote in an email.
Her staffer said Bains is “a scientist, not a purist” and that while she “supported legislation to remove PFAS from the PPE of firefighters and enforce safe PFAS limits” in certain products, she “does not support banning Californians from buying affordable nonstick pots and pans.”
“California has the highest poverty rate in the country, and Dr. Bains represents a district with triple the state average,” Capper continued. “While people in wealthier parts of the state may afford the privilege of higher prices, families in Kern cannot afford that luxury.”
Jane Kim, state director of the California Working Families Party, said the health impacts of pesticides are hard to ignore, particularly for farm workers.
“Children and families in Assemblymember Bains’ district have gotten seriously ill from pesticide drift,” she said. “Even under the best-case scenario, what possible excuse would allow a medical doctor and representative to miss so many critical votes to hold these billionaire corporations accountable?”
Kim’s party is supporting Randy Villegas, one of several other Democrats seeking to oust Valadao, for the congressional seat that represents most of Bakersfield. Former Assemblymember Rudy Salas, who has unsuccessfully challenged Valadao twice before, is also running.
Bains raises money from ag and chemical companies
Bains has taken tens of thousands of dollars from farming and pest control interest groups that have lobbied against new pesticide rules.
Last year, growers lobbied heavily against AB 1963, a bill that requires the state to reevaluate the safety of paraquat dichloride — a toxic chemical commonly used to control weeds and grasses — and determine whether to outlaw or place new restrictions on its use.
As they tried to kill the legislation, several of the farmer-aligned PACs also donated thousands to Bains’ campaign that year. She took at least $38,500 from the American Pistachio Growers California PAC, California Citrus Mutual, United Agribusiness League and other groups.
The donations make up a fraction of the $1.6 million Bains raised during the 2024 election cycle. Her donors represent a diverse set of players including healthcare and medical interests, labor, and two of Kern County’s industry giants — agriculture and oil and gas.
Some of Bains’ donors, like the California Fresh Fruit Association, also lobbied last year against AB 1864, which tightened pesticide restrictions and reporting near schools. While Bains initially did not log a vote on that bill, her office noted she supported it after it was “amended to address cost concerns.”
“Dr. Bains’ approach often facilitates the hard work that’s required to protect consumers without increasing prices,” Capper, her legislative director, said.
But Kim with the Working Families Party said, “It’s hard to ignore the money she’s accepted from these unscrupulous companies who are making Californians sick.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 11:43 AM.
