CALIFORNIA: Democrats take aim at budget vote margin

Sacramento Bee ^ | 9/22/8 | Aurelio Rojas

[SmithL]

Frustrated by the longest budget impasse in California history, Democratic leaders are planning another ballot measure to end the two-thirds vote requirement in the Legislature to pass a state budget.

Voters, by a 2-to-1 margin, defeated a similar effort in 2004 that would have also lowered the vote threshold to raise taxes from two-thirds to 55 percent.

But incoming Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass say this year's budget – now 84 days late – underscores the need to re-visit the issue in 2010, or next year if there's a special election.

California is one of only three states – Arkansas and Rhode Island are the others – that require a super-majority budget vote and the only state where the governor also has line-item veto authority.

While Democratic lawmakers hold commanding margins of 48-32 in the Assembly and 25-15 in Senate, they need Republican votes to pass a budget.

"It makes no sense to completely thwart the will of the majority by empowering, in this instance, essentially nine people to dictate the outcome of the most important thing that California state government does," Steinberg said.

The Sacramento Democrat will become Senate president pro tem on Nov. 30 when Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, is termed out of office.

"Sen. Steinberg and I, Sen. Perata and I, members of my caucus – we have all talked about as soon as this is over, we need to have a permanent fix," said Bass, D-Los Angeles.

But Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Clovis opposes changing the two-thirds threshold because "it offers protection to taxpayers."

"It's too critical, especially when we have rampant overspending and they're trying to raise taxes," Villines said.

[SmithL]

Fish gotta swim,

birds gotta fly, and

rats gotta tax!

[goldstategop]

I'd allow the Democrats to pass the budget by a majority provided that offsetting budget cuts are made in any year the budget falls out of balance. A two-thirds majority would still be required for tax increases. In other words, the Democrats can pass the budget on their own but only to cut spending, not to increase it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[SmithL]

Your Tax Dollars at Work Ping!

[NormsRevenge]

Get rid of the super-majority budget vote and Prop 13 pops up as NEXT on the list..

[jakerobins]

But Californian liberals are so caring.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dwus2bM-kg

That’s what Barack is doing there.....Barack Obama is super cool to the homeless.....

[Oldpuppymax]

What the hell’s the matter with these voters? Don’t they know they should make it easier for the politicians to screw them? Damn knuckledraggers!

[JMS]

“It makes no sense to completely thwart the will of the majority by empowering, in this instance, essentially nine people to dictate the outcome of the most important thing that California state government does,” Steinberg said.

And yet Dems have no problem with unelected Judges making laws.