State Budget: Slam or Sham?

Depending on who you ask, the California state budget passed by lawmakers on Monday was either a slam dunk with ample public input that addresses the core issues facing Californians, or it was a sham intended to meet the required deadline to ensure lawmakers continue to receive their paychecks.  

As one can imagine, those who find this to be more of a sham are the Republicans who have very little say over the budget (given that the Legislature has a Democratic supermajority).  However, also not so impressed with how Democratic legislative leaders are planning to spend the state’s $300-billion-plus windfall, is Governor Newsom.  

According to Newsom spokesperson Anthony York, the Governor would like to see the budget pay down more of the state’s long-term debts and put more money in reserves.  Yet, as pointed out by CalMatters, the Legislature’s proposed budget puts about $700 million more into reserves than Newsom’s May budget plan.  Even with lawmakers passing its placeholder budget, the months ahead will bring ongoing negotiations and plenty of amendments in trailer bills to represent those conversations.



No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Join Our Mailing List