How California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas ‘has failed on every front’ | Opinion

When Assemblyman Robert Rivas, D- Hollister, ascended to the role of speaker of the California Assembly, I expected his tenure would be tested by ethical challenges that can plague the office. Ironically, that has not fully materialized. Instead, a different and impossible-to-ignore story has unfolded.

Speaker Rivas has failed as a legislative leader not in the shadows of scandal, but in plain sight for everyone to see.

What’s most damning isn’t just the bad decisions, it’s the complete collapse of message discipline and strategic clarity when the world is watching. Time and again, his leadership team has fumbled in public view. And he is not learning from his mistakes.

Let’s start on the Assembly floor — often called the “green carpet” — where decorum and discipline are supposed to shine. Under Rivas’ watch, the green carpet has become a stage for political theater and strategic failure.

Two years ago, his caucus was caught flat-footed on Senate Bill 14, a high-profile bill from Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, aimed at making the sex trafficking of a minor a serious crime. Rivas has members on his side of the aisle that balk at any increase in criminal sanctions, even ones like SB 14 that make sense.

Democrats tried to kill the bill. And instead of controlling the narrative or framing a principled Democratic response, Rivas and his team were thoroughly outmaneuvered. Grove seized the moment with the help of Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Assembly Democrats were left reeling, essentially forced to support the bill.

Fast forward to late 2024: Rivas inexplicably chose to oppose Proposition 36, which proposed stiffer sentences for repeat petty thieves and drug treatment instead of longer sentences for certain drug users. The same far-left faction in his caucus that opposed SB 14 opposed this initiative.

It could have been a political layup for Democrats to embrace Prop. 36 early. Instead, they fought it to the bitter end. The result? It passed with nearly 70% of the vote. That’s not just a miscalculation; it’s a spectacular failure in reading the electorate and shaping public policy accordingly.

Meanwhile, his inner circle has taken to sabotaging their own members. One of the most bewildering decisions came when Team Rivas tried to sideline Assemblywoman Maggie Krell, D-Sacramento, a member of his own caucus, for reasons that remain unclear.

Krell wanted to make it a felony to solicit any minor for sex. Democrats at first refused, and when she kept fighting for her bill, Rivas allowed it to be hijacked by another assembly member. Ultimately, Krell got her way on the issue and was allowed to co-author the bill again. Internal disputes happen, but punishing your own members publicly only weakens the entire team. And, in doing so, Rivas made his caucus look silly.

Then came the digital smear campaign. In a move that reeked of desperation, Rivas’ political machine unleashed false attacks against Republican assembly members. Not only were these attacks easily debunked, they also made the speaker’s team look petty and undisciplined.

Perhaps the most inexplicable move came in the form of handing Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, a political gift wrapped in gold ribbon. A skilled political operator who thrives on attention, DeMaio at this particular moment was trying to make some common sense changes about a resolution commemorating Pride month so that it could be supported by Republicans and Democrats alike.

So what did a Rivas lieutenant, Speaker Pro Tem Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, do? In his role as the presiding officer of the Assembly, he repeatedly prevented DeMaio from speaking, instead changing the topic to recognize birthdays of Democrats in the chambers. The clip went viral, and DeMaio’s platform grew stronger thanks to Rivas’ team.

Then there’s the cold reality of electoral performance. In a year when Democrats should have ridden the presidential coattails to victory, Rivas’ Assembly Democrats lost two seats. This is an unprecedented outcome in modern California politics. The blame falls squarely on candidate recruitment.

And, during all of this, Rivas refused to speak to the press. He hides from accountability. It is hard to be transparent when everything is going so poorly.

Ask any Capitol veteran to name 20 effective legislative leaders over the past 30 years. You’ll hear names like Willie Brown, Toni Atkins and John Burton. You won’t hear Robert Rivas — not even close.

If the job of the speaker is to unify, lead and win, then Rivas has failed on every front.

This story was originally published July 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.