[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

There is a disturbing article in today’s Sacramento Bee that evokes memories of last year’s delay in enacting a California state budget when Republican Senators held out for a gutting of California’s environmental laws and sought to defund State Attorney General Brown so he could not enforce laws they did not like. The pattern on the part of California’s minority party legislators is unmistakable and is apparently back this year: If you don’t like laws on the books passed by a majority of the legislature through the regular process (public committee hearings, approval by both houses, and signature by the Governor, etc.) and cannot pass legislation to repeal them or modify them because you lack the votes, just tie them to the budget, argue that they affect the financial health of the state, and demand they be changed or you won’t vote for the budget.

This is only possible in California because of the requirement that our state budget be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses. To Republicans legislators who are largely irrelevant most of the year because of their lack of electoral success with California’s voters, this is their one point of leverage.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

You know the drill:

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

I've been getting E-mails in response to Saturday's Sacramento Bee article by Judy Lin, from people wanting to sign up to prevent some of the proposed cuts to schools, parks, health care and other vital services. The article describes the very preliminary conversations among leading organizations spanning a broad range of fields to work together toward a better solution to the budget crisis.

I think it's an indication that California is ready for another solution to the budget crisis, other than cuts, cuts, cuts.

The enthusiasm comes through in our recent work. It comes through in the fact that we have health care organizations and leaders active and ready to go to oppose the cuts to health care.

The energy comes through in the conversations we've been having with groups in completely different sectors. I've been in broad-based campaigns before, but the depth and breadth of interest in stunning, bring together health and social service organizations with environmental groups, the education community, the world of police and public safety, and many others.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]