[Principled]

What that would do as a practical matter is to put significant pressure on the legislature and the Governor to forge a compromise that can gain 2/3 majority...

Why so, if they can just wait it out? From where will the pressure come?

[larlaw]

The pressure will come from the general public who, I suspect, is finally awakened from its slumber, and more particularly the education establishment;

The school districts will run out of money as of August 1; Without budget funding by the legislature, they will be unable to finalize recruitment of the requisite number of out of state teachers that were supposed to begin teaching here the end of August; They will further be unable to do all of the re-assigning and enact the programs that they had planned for; The teacher's union will be apoplectic; However, as such, I suspect the Dems and Governor will be the ones likely to cave, agree to a smaller tax increase (without the gross receipts tax) and some spending cuts, and allow for the education budget to be passed, thus alleviating the "crisis"...