Prop. 76 Again?

Arnold refuses to take a comprehensive look at the problems that have created our budget deficit and now appears to be pushing what essentially amounts to Prop. 76. It is a power grab, short and simple. The voters rejected it overwhelmingly in 2005, with 62.4% voting NO. It was a bad idea to give the governor more power over the budget then and it is still a bad idea now. SacBee:

Heading into a week in which he's expected to deliver grim news about the state's fiscal health, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is also preparing to propose changes to the budgeting process.

The Republican governor will offer a "budget reform" plan when he outlines his goals in his State of the State address Tuesday. Such a proposal, if successful, would likely give the executive office more authority in making cuts even after the Legislature has passed an annual spending plan.

When Arnold talks about budget reforms, he means being able to cut the budget whenever he feels like it. Meanwhile Nunez has some ideas of his own.

A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez said lawmakers will have to wait to see what the governor proposes. The Democratic leader from Los Angeles has suggested changing the minimum vote for passing a budget, from the current two-thirds to a simple majority. The move would greatly diminish the role of Republicans, who are a minority in the Legislature.

"Reform is in the eye of the beholder," said Núñez's spokesman, Steve Maviglio.

Indeed. California's budgetary process is a mess with the 2/3rds requirements and the Republicans refusal to do anything other than make cuts. Hardly any other states put such limitations on their legislature. The solution is not to give the governor more power, but to untie the hands of the legislature.

See also Dave Dayen on the same subject.