Official Title and Summary

Initiative Constitutional Amendment
Changes Legislative Vote Requirement to Pass a Budget and Budget-Related Legislation from Two-Thirds to a Simple Majority. Retains Two-Thirds Vote Requirement for Taxes.

• Changes the legislative vote requirement necessary to pass the state budget and spending bills related to the budget from two-thirds to a simple majority.
• Provides that if the Legislature fails to pass a budget bill by June 15, all members of the Legislature will permanently forfeit any reimbursement for salary and expenses for every day until the day the Legislature passes a budget bill.

Summary of Legislative Analyst's Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:

• In some years, the contents of the state budget and related legislation could be changed due to the lower legislative vote requirements in the measure. The extent of these chagnes would depend on a number of factors, including the state's financial circumstances, the composition of the Legislature, and its future actions.
• In any year the Legislature has not sent a budget to the Governor on time, there would be a reduction in state legislator compensation costs of about $50,000 for each late day.

Peace and Freedom Party Position

We need to tax corporations and the rich and pass budgets that meet our human needs. Yes on 24 and 25 and no on 26 are steps in the right direction.

California is the only state which requires a supermajority to both pass a budget and raise taxes. We need a democratic process to raise the revenue we need and spend it for the common good.

Proposition 25 is a partial solution. It would allow the legislature to pass a budget by a simple majority. This would help relieve the gridlock which causes service providers of all kinds to go unpaid while one third of the legislature stalls. It would decrease the pressure to make deals like cutting corporate taxes. This proposition doesn't end the two-thirds vote required to raise taxes. We say vote YES on 25 and continue to fight for a fair tax system.