If you've
been counting votes in the state Senate this week, you might be confused.
For all
intents and purposes, the vote count stands at 26-13.
So, that's
a two-thirds majority, right?
It is
if you're doing old math. Or, for that matter, new math. But it doesn't add up
if you're doing legal math.
The
state constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the "membership" of the state
Senate and Assembly to pass budgets and tax bills. The constitution also
establishes that the state Senate has 40 members. A two-thirds vote is 27. Currently,
there are 39 but a two-thirds vote remains 27..
If the
standoff continues - and there's no reason to think it won't - watch for
someone to argue, perhaps in court, that 26 votes is a two-thirds majority in a
39-member Senate.
The vacancy
was created in December after Democrat Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected to the
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. A special election to fill his old
Senate seat will be held next month, with a possible run-off in June.
With
six Democrats on the special election ballot, it may be hard to avoid a
run-off. Republicans have no realistic chance of winning this seat. Voter registration
in the district is 66 percent Democratic, 11 percent Republican.
So, wait
until June, and if the two Republicans now ready to vote for a budget don't change
their minds, there may be a deal.
- Jim Sweeney
There was a deal and Republican Maldonado saved all California drivers from adding twelve cents a gallon to thier driving costs that the Democrats were trying to jam down our throats. Reemeber, kids, liberal papers back liberal Democrats no matter what they try to do to us.
Fair enough, but let's not leave out that Maldanado traded a permanent 0.25 percent increase in income tax rates for the gas tax and a temporary income tax surcharge. The gas tax revenue will be further backfilled with $600 million in line-item vetoes by the governor and money from the federal stimulus package. Certainly you remember the federal stimulus: sarkyfish
Posted 11 February 2009 11:49 AM
RE: Link
The biggest rip-off in the history of America is occuring within our national government, and PD editors are writing about this nickle and dime theft.
Posts: 52