Yang Shao on Affordability, Accountability, and Independent Leadership
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Written by Michael Qin
Dr. Yang Shao enters the California State Assembly District 24 race with 12 years of local governance experience, currently serving his eighth year on the Fremont City Council following a four-year tenure on the Fremont Unified School District Board. Shao arrived in the US as an immigrant and foreign student, ultimately earning a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University before launching a career as a scientist in the local Bay Area biopharmaceutical industry.
Throughout his decade-plus in public service, Shao has built a data-driven reputation. Under his council tenure, Fremont maintained balanced municipal budgets and successfully delivered 567 affordable housing units to the community in 2025 alone. In this year’s District 24 election, he runs as the only independent, No Party Preference (NPP) candidate who takes a data-driven approach to public policy rather than an ideological one.
Independent Status
Though California State Assembly members oftentimes receive backing from partisan political parties, Shao has leveraged his independent status. “In District 24, we have approximately 40% Democrats, 40% independents, and 20% Republicans. I believe I am the best candidate to represent all of them, because I have no partisan loyalties distracting me. I focus on real issues and work with whoever is willing to address them, regardless of their ideology … If we remove partisan politics from the equation, California can turn around quickly. I don’t have to cross the aisle — I am in the aisle. I can reach both sides from where I stand,” he told The Municipal Journal in an exclusive interview.
Affordability
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office reported that California is facing an estimated $18 billion budget deficit for the 2026–27 fiscal year, following consecutive multi-billion dollar deficits over the past three budget cycles. Shao contends that the state “doesn’t have a tax revenue issue, it has a spending issue.” He opposes new tax hikes on families and calls for a comprehensive, independent audit of state spending, targeting billions allocated toward high-speed rail and homelessness initiatives.
California is ranked as one of the highest cost-of-living states, with affordability impacts directly trickling down to households. Shao recognizes that energy and housing costs are of key concern for District 24 residents. The American Automobile Association estimates the average cost of a gallon of gas in California is $6.04, over $1.50 above the national average. “I support an immediate suspension of the state gas tax, especially as the federal government is proposing a similar measure,” Shao said.
Beyond energy, Shao argues that well-intentioned environmental safeguards like the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are frequently used by neighborhood groups to stall development. CEQA requires agencies to conduct public environmental reviews before construction projects, creating a gridlock that traps projects in years of litigation, racking up massive fees and interest costs that developers ultimately pass down to consumers through higher rents and home prices. To cut this red tape, Shao supports expanding laws like Assembly Bill 130, which fast-tracks approvals by granting CEQA exemptions to infill housing, home projects built on vacant urban lots rather than open land. Bypassing the lengthy legal trouble shortens construction timelines and grants middle-class Californians housing both quickly and affordably.
Education
Relying on his background in local education, Shao strictly opposes race-conscious public policies and instead prioritizes merit-based education, noting his past opposition to Proposition 16 and the current Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7. Proposition 16, which California voters rejected in 2020, would have reinstated affirmative action in public employment, education, and contracting. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7, its ideological successor, would place a similar measure on the 2026 ballot, again seeking to allow race as a factor in public decision-making. Considering that 49% of all California students met or exceeded state standards in English and only 37% did so in math on the 2025 Smarter Balanced Assessment, Shao pushes for a more rigorous academic curriculum, expanded STEM access, and specialized programs that challenge high achievers.
Accountability
California has invested $16 billion in developing its high-speed rail infrastructure and $24 billion in combating homelessness over the past few years, yet attained highly scrutinized results. According to a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll, 62% of voters say that California should continue financing the planned high-speed rail, while another survey from POLITICO cited that 58% of voters “view housing and homelessness as the area where the state’s government needs to make the most improvement,” in 2025. Due to this, Shao argues these multi-billion dollar projects need stronger oversight, “The state legislature must do a better job overseeing state spending — eliminating fraud, abuse, and waste — so that our students receive the funding they deserve. We need accountability at every level.”
California’s Economic Future
California’s economy continues to grow on an upward trend. However, the state still faces a persisting macroeconomic issue: according to IRS data, between 2019 and 2023, California lost $91.4 billion in net income due to the mass exodus of high-income earners, many of whom migrated to Texas, Nevada, Florida, and Arizona. “We need to lower corporate tax rates to attract and retain businesses and talent in California. Because of high corporate taxes and excessive regulation, we are experiencing an exodus of businesses — large and small — moving out of the state,” Shao said. The loss of tax revenue and fewer job opportunities have immediate impacts on Californians’ livelihoods. “We cannot always use the rhetoric that large corporations are the culprits of our social problems. The government doesn’t create jobs — businesses do. If we want a bright future, we need to respect the business sector, provide preferable policies to help companies stay and grow here, and generate more wealth for a well-educated workforce and properly maintained public systems.”
Comments