It is July... Must be Budget time...

Every year we have this budget crisis in California. Five years ago there was an idea to make the Budget and the process more accountable. It was the Budget Accountability Act. The would have Act held legislators accountable for passing a budget on time and provides penalties to prevent a budget deadlock. Among the provisions of the Act were:

• If the budget is not passed by the June 15 deadline, then the Governor and members of the legislature permanently forfeit their salaries until the budget is signed.
• The legislature is required to stay in session until the budget is adopted.
• The two-thirds vote is replaced by a 55 percent vote requirement, making the process less vulnerable to the stalemate that plagues the current system.
• Sets up a "rainy day" fund that could only be used when revenues fall below current service levels.
• Requires the Secretary of State to publish how the state actually spends its funds, as well as publishing information on how legislators vote on the budget.

Unfortunately this did not pass... most of the arguments had to do with the fact that this may make passing new taxes easier also. The funny thing is the other propositions passed that year DID raise taxes...

California is only one of THREE states in the United State to require a two-thirds majority vote.

This year... we are faced with a large budget deficit. The two-thirds requirement will make it an interesting compromise this year.

Rob Feckner, CSEA's Association President, posted an editorial on California Progress Report blog. Cool stuff.