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Rep. Devin Nunes on Saturday night urged California Republicans to regain relevancy by pushing ballot initiatives that could be a tough sell with the states voters, ones that would create battles potentially costing tens of millions of dollars to wage.

The ideas he floated in his speech to the state GOP convention include increasedoffshore oil drilling, elimination ofthe state income tax, shifting the Legislature into one body or part-time status, moving bonds earmarked for high-speed railto water storageand changing how public employee union dues are collected.

Nunes, a Central Valley representative who chairs the powerful House Intelligence Committee, said the state'sRepublicans needed to be as bold as President Trump was during his campaign.

"Isnt it nice to win?" Nunes told hundreds of supporters attending the convention'sdinner event. "This guy put it all on the line. He was willing to lose. We have to be willing to lose."

Most of the proposals have either proven unappealing to California voters in the polls, have lost at the ballot box already, or would require enormous structural changes to the states government and finances.

For example, a ballot initiative to transfer high-speed rail money to water storage failed to garner sufficient donors to earn a spot on the fall 2016 ballot .

More than 6 in 10 likely California voters opposed increased offshore oil drilling in a July 2016 poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

In 2012, a ballot measure that would have banned automatic public employee union dues from being used for political purposes, Proposition 32 , failed by a 56%-43% margin.

Nunes'suggestion of eliminating California'spersonal income tax stands in stark contrast to data from the state Department of Finance estimating it will comprise68% of all general fund revenues in the fiscal year that begins this summer.

Nunes, speaking to reporters after his speech, said the money could be replacedby changing the state's sales tax.

"Its been a few years since I worked on it, but we looked at doing, basically, a broader type of sales tax," he said. "You would just basically get rid of the income tax and just basically have a consumption type system."

He said such a move would not be regressive.

"Its a very transparent way to do it, 150 countries around the world do it that way, theres no reason why the state of California couldnt do it,"Nunes said.

A state commission studied a similar tax plan in2009 , but theproposal was summarily rejected by state lawmakers.

Nunestold the delegates and their guests that if the ballot measures fail, Republicans should keep trying until they succeed. He later told reporters that he estimated it would cost the state GOP $10 million to $12 million each election cycle that theinitiatives appear on the ballot.

"I would argue thats the best $10 or $12 million we could spend by putting the initiatives on the ballot and therefore puttinga Republican agenda on the ballot each election, he said.

"I think it would show people in California what we actually stand for. I think right now it's very difficult to get our message across because were drowned out."

Kevin Spillane, a veteran GOP strategist, said Nunes proposals were not realistic.

"It sounds like smoke and mirrors rather than a practical political strategy for Republicans in California. Congressman Nunes has failed to sponsor any ballot measures in the past. Its hard to believe he would do so in the future.

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Rep. Devin Nunes tells California Republicans to push five ballot initiatives, though each could face tall hurdles - Los Angeles Times