Michael Villines - Republican Leader

Republican Leader

Villines was chosen by his colleagues in November 2006 where he served as Republican leader for 2½ years, making him one of the longest serving leaders over the past 25 years (due to terms limits). He succeeded George Plescia of La Jolla. Plescia had succeeded Kevin McCarthy who stepped down to make a successful run for Congress.

Villines served as chief negotiator for Assembly Republicans, crafting solutions to the critical problems facing California. He was a member of the "Big 5" group of legislative leaders that included at the time Governor Schwarzenegger, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, and Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass. Final agreements on such important issues as how to balance the budget are reached during "Big 5" meetings.

Villines' leadership was key to the February 2009 Budget Deal, which included large spending cuts and temporary tax increases, that allowed California to reduce its $42 billion budget deficit. He was recognized by members of both political parties for his willingness to pursue a bipartisan solution to rapidly expanding crisis despite the risk to his political career. While the deal was highly unpopular at the time, Villines was awarded with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award along with fellow legislative leaders Karen Bass, Dave Cogdill and Darrell Steinberg for their role in the budget deal. The Award is the nation's most prestigious honor for elected public servants and recognizes acts that put the good of the public ahead of the individual's interests.

Villines was initially opposed to any tax increases but described his reasoning for the deal during his Profiles in Courage acceptance speech. "Now there were many who argued that doing nothing was the best option – letting the state 'go off the cliff' was the “fiscally responsible” position... For me, there was nothing more fiscally or socially irresponsible than inaction...especially when we knew the facts. I was determined not to let California fail and to the best I could to solve the problem. And so I worked with Dave, Karen, Darrell and Governor Schwarzenneger to craft a budget compromise... But in the end, we believed it was practical, fair, and the only way to get California on the road to recovery...I learned that courage is taking the hard road even when there is an easy way out. And I gained a real understanding of what politics should be – putting the interests of the people ahead of what's easy or best for my career."