California’s budget was passed at a record-breaking delay of 100 days this year. For a state that proudly counts itself among the world’s 10 largest economies, that’s embarrassing.
The delay also has serious consequences for our economy. State-funded programs are left with little indication of how much they can spend. That’s confusing.
There is, as well, a risk that state-funded programs will run out of cash. The University of California is far from immune; to protect Cal Grants this year, the UC had to step in and offer to cover the 66,100 students covered by the program. Forcing a university that has had to deal with millions of dollars in cuts to bankroll a state responsibility such as Cal Grants is unacceptable.
The system needs to change, and Proposition 25 can change it. Currently, the state budget can only be passed by a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature. This gives the Republican minority sufficient power to block Democrats’ budget proposals, and we’re left with a system wherein our budget negotiations grind to a halt.
Proposition 25 would allow the budget to be passed with a simple majority vote in the Assembly and Senate. If the proposition succeeds on election day, we’ll join the 47 other states that already follow this procedure.
This board is confident that what works for the rest of the country will work for us, and when we’re talking about 100-day budget delays, there is no reason to stick by such an outdated, inane process.