When Governor Brown vetoed the State of California budget yesterday, Sacramento legislators accomplished something obviously important to them – they protected their paychecks from being docked. Even though Governor Brown did not immediately say he would reject the spending plan, since it violated almost all of his budget principals, it certainly could not have surprised very many in the state capitol when he did.

According to the Official Voter Information Guide from the 2010 general election, Proposition 25 passed by the voters provides that lawmakers will forever forfeit their pay and expense reimbursements if they don’t pass a budget before June 15. The forfeiture remains in place until they do pass a budget.

Unfortunately, the new law doesn’t say the budget must be signed by the Governor. So, the political nonsense continues, but the perpetrators get to keep their paychecks.

One major aspect of the budget battle is about putting budget related items to a vote of the people. The reason is, while Democrats can pass a budget on a simple majority vote, as they did with the rejected budget, they need a two thirds vote of the legislator to pass tax increases. Since Brown’s budget proposal extends some tax rates which are about to expire, and since Democrats have a majority, but not the so called super majority, they can’t approve Brown’s entire package without some Republican help. Since no Republicans are willing to take the heat which they would get from supporting Brown’s plan, none are willing to do so.

Thus, the Republicans could just sit on their hands, let the Democrats pass a budget that everyone knew the Governor would not sign, and they would still get their paychecks and be able to continue their stalemated-go-nowhere- discussions while they banked the cash.

“I am, once again, calling on Republicans to allow the people of California to vote on tax extensions for a balanced budget and significant reforms,” said Brown yesterday in his veto message (the full text of his message is below).

“In fact, it’s the Democrats who are holding California hostage by refusing to allow the voters to weigh in on meaningful structural reforms -- not just Governor Brown’s tax proposal,” wrote a group of four Republican State Senators, including our own Senator Tom Harman (full statement below).

It can be hard to reconcile these two statements. Brown says the Republicans will not allow the people to vote on his plan, and Republicans say it’s Brown who will not allow the vote. The answer is in exactly what we the people are allowed to vote on. Brown doesn’t want to include some of the Republican proposals on the ballot, and the Republicans will not allow a vote without including their favorite proposals. So, the state’s financial crisis continues – schools, counties, states, and just about every other governmental agency in California, has no idea of what to plan on – but, don’t be alarmed, the state senators and Assembly members will get their next pay check.

Here’s the full text of Gov. Brown’s veto message:
I am returning Senate Bill 69 and Assembly Bill 98 without my signature.

In January, I presented a balanced budget solution with a mix of deep spending cuts and temporary tax extensions subject to voter approval. My plan would put these extended revenues in a lockbox, ensuring that they are only used to protect education and public safety. It would also address California’s long term fiscal crisis by substantially paying down the $35 billion wall of debt built up over the last decade.

Yet Republicans in the Legislature blocked the right of the people to vote on this honest, balanced budget.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the Legislature made valiant efforts to address California’s budget crisis by enacting $11 billion in painful cuts and other solutions. I commend them for their tremendous efforts to balance the budget in the absence of Republican cooperation.

Unfortunately, the budget I have received is not a balanced solution. It continues big deficits for years to come and adds billions of dollars of new debt. It also contains legally questionable maneuvers, costly borrowing and unrealistic savings. Finally, it is not financeable and therefore will not allow us to meet our obligations as they occur.

We can – and must – do better. A balanced budget is critical to our economic recovery. I am, once again, calling on Republicans to allow the people of California to vote on tax extensions for a balanced budget and significant reforms. They should also join Democrats in supporting job creation and ending tax breaks for out-of-state companies. If they continue to obstruct a vote, we will be forced to pursue deeper and more destructive cuts to schools and public safety– a tragedy for which Republicans will bear full responsibility.

Governor Jerry Brown

Here’s the full text from the State Republican Senators:
(Sacramento, CA) - Senators Berryhill, Cannella, Emmerson, and Harman today (June 16, 2011) released the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s comments on vetoing the majority vote budget:

“While the Governor did the right thing by vetoing the Democrats sham budget, we challenge his assertion that Republicans have blocked the right of the people to vote.

“In fact, it’s the Democrats who are holding California hostage by refusing to allow the voters to weigh in on meaningful structural reforms -- not just Governor Brown’s tax proposal.

“We have been consistent and clear from day one – let the people vote on the reforms that would end our state’s chronic budget deficits and put Californians back to work. Let them have a say in the future of California. Let’s get this done.”