Bipartisanship Breaks Out on California Budget: Bills to Pass Tomorrow on This Year’s Deficit

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Many Painful Cuts

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday, Republicans in the California State Senate withheld their votes for the package of bills that passed out of committee in the special session on this year’s state budget deficit, saying they had just been handed the legislation and had not had time to analyze the provisions in them. Earlier today, the Assembly Budget Committee, has passed a series of bills identical to those passed by their counterparts in the State Senate, most of them with the unanimous support of all on the committee who were in attendance, including Republican votes.

Some Republican Assemblymembers even voted to repeal the yacht tax loophole, causing Democratic Assemblymember Dave Jones to note this may be the first time he has been on the same side of an issue like this with Republican Member Chuck DeVore.

Republicans acknowledged in today’s hearings that these were painful cuts being made. Both Republicans and Democrats spoke with passion about many of these cuts—sometimes expressing hopes that when next year budget is adopted that some of the cuts can be reversed. The need for speed was acknowledged by all, as California is in danger of running out of funds to pay ongoing expenses.

The full Assembly will convene at 9 a.m. tomorrow to take up the four bills that address education, social services, general government spending and the yacht tax loophole and send them to the Senate (Bills AB 4xxx, 6xxx, 8xxx, and 10xxx). They will then take up the three bills the Senate is expected to send to them and, if all goes according to plan, these will be sent immediately to the Governor's desk for his signature. A two-thirds vote is expected in the Assembly and also appears to be in the cards in the Senate for these bills.

We will have more information tomorrow morning about the cuts and other legislation that will be on the floor.

The California Budget Project has a “quick and dirty” summary that can be read online, “Senate and Assembly Committees Approve Midyear Cuts.” This includes links to the bills.