In passing a budget 52 days after their statutory deadline, legislators managed to make this year’s budget impasse the third-longest in California history.
That means that legislators have held Californians hostage for longer on two other occasions. Experts are warning Californians to expect more budget showdowns, as soon as next year.
It’s irresponsible and it has to stop.
State Senator Don Perata (D-Oakland) sent a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advocating that a bipartisan committee be impaneled to propose fixes to the problem.
While we agree with Perata that ballot-box budgeting – in which voters pass initiatives that conflict with other initiatives and eliminate the flexibility needed to address changing economies – is a big part of the problem, we don’t think a study is necessary to eliminate budget impasses. We have a few cheap, easily implemented ideas that ought to take the monkey wrench out of the state budget process:
- Punish the tardy – Whenever state lawmakers fail to meet their statutory deadline for passing a budget, penalties ought to begin, just like they do for taxpayers who fail to meet their statutory deadline for filing tax returns.
For lawmakers, their salaries ought to be frozen immediately, and should not resume until a budget is passed. In addition, daily penalties ought to be levied, and those penalties ought to increase each day until a budget is in place.
- Majority rules – In a democracy, simple majorities ought to rule in all but the most important questions – say, changing the constitution. Otherwise, instead of majority rule, the minority rules. If Californians elect a Democratic majority to the statehouse, they expect a budget in line with Democratic values. Same is true if they elect a Republican majority.
Inexplicably, California requires a two-thirds super-majority for budget approval, giving undue leverage to the minority. The budget ought to pass with 50 percent plus one of the votes in each legislative house.
- Like with like – No unrelated amendments should be allowed on budget bills. Only amendments related directly to the budget should be attached to the budget. Budget votes ought to be simple up-and-down votes on spending plans and nothing else.
Passing a budget is one of the top priorities of the legislature, and they ought to treat it that way. Failure to pass a budget by the statutory deadline constitutes a fiscal emergency, not an opportunity for games of political chicken.
These fixes greatly inhibit the ability of legislators to play games with Californians and their money. Let’s get them in place.
