Q&A: Controller John Chiang ponders legislators' pay

Sacramento Bee ^ | 6/21/11 | Kevin Yamamura

[SmithL]

Controller John Chiang, who battled former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on state worker pay, is in the middle of another wage fight.

The Democrat could decide as soon as today whether to pay legislators their salary and living expenses dating back to Thursday. Under a new voter-approved law, Proposition 25, the state docks legislative pay each day lawmakers have not sent the governor a budget.

We answer some common questions below:

>Lawmakers passed a budget last week. What gives?

Chiang determined that lawmakers must not only send the governor a budget, but a "balanced" one, as required by a separate 2004 voter-approved law. The question for Chiang is whether the Democratic majority-vote budget qualifies as "balanced."

>But what about Gov. Jerry Brown's veto?

Under Proposition 25, a gubernatorial veto has no effect on whether lawmakers receive pay.

>Who wants lawmakers to stop receiving pay?

The anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association asked Chiang last week to stop paying lawmakers and threatened to file suit to block paychecks. Editorial boards, including The Bee's, have urged the controller to stop pay to prod lawmakers into compromise.

In remarks last week, Brown left it up to Chiang to decide the issue. But the Democratic governor may be counting on a pay stoppage as leverage to force lawmakers to reach a deal.

>Who wants lawmakers to receive pay?

Besides most lawmakers, labor unions and advocates for those spared from cuts in the Democratic budget have said privately they want pay to continue.

[Myrddin]

Who wants lawmakers to stop receiving pay?

The taxpayers who approved the measure are the ones who want the paychecks stopped to the legislators who won't do the job they were elected to do. Do the job and you'll be paid. Continuing screwing off and you're docked.

[newzjunkey]

Prop 25 should've considered a veto but Chiang is correct to mock the sham budget.

No compromise is needed because Dems have near supermajorities and only 50%+1 is needed to pass a budget. This is all a war with themselves: how not to piss of their special interest cronies and benefactors while not be able to raise taxes since they don't have that supermajority required.

I love to see them squirm and I hope it continues. Republicans in CA have nothing to lose by holding the line on taxes.