As sure as the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano each year, Democratic legislators in California have again enacted their annual unbalanced budget that borrows and spends its way to years of deficits.
With bipartisan opposition, Senate Bill 101 passed both the California State Senate and Assembly today, notably without amendments offered by Senate and Assembly Republicans to bring some semblance of reality back to the state’s budget process.
Watch Legislative Republicans respond to the joint legislative budget agreement here.
“After a clumsy budget process, the majority party has not done anything to address the structural deficit,” stated Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. “This budget continues to overspend while hoping for a growth in revenue instead of cautiously preparing for the worst. A budget that is based on hope is a budget that is destined for despair.”
“This budget is a huge disappointment,” said Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon). “We’re in a period of economic uncertainty and are staring at years of operating deficits, yet we’re spending more money than ever on things less than vital. Affordability, battling crime and wildfires and ensuring a stable water supply are top priorities for Californians, and they are not in this budget.”
Republican Senators and Assemblymembers cosponsored identical amendments on both the Senate and Assembly floors that would have:
Provided full funding of $400 million for Prop. 36 enacted by almost 70% of the voters in November 2024.
Provided $500 million for wildfire prevention, including forest thinning, controlled burns and vegetation management projects throughout the state.
Overturned the upcoming 65 cents per gallon gas tax hike enacted by CARB (California Air Resources Board).
Allocated $1.6 billion to keep enough nurses, medical assistants, doctors, dentists and other medical providers in business.
Restored $98 million to support the developmentally disabled.
Cut $11 billion of free health services to illegal immigrants.
Defunded the $300 billion high-speed rail fantasy.
“The Democrat budget shortchanges Californians,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). “Families are being crushed by poverty, homelessness, crime, and soaring costs for housing, food, and energy. This budget does next to nothing to help. Instead, Democrats are pouring billions into widely unpopular programs like free healthcare for illegal immigrants and the high-speed rail fail, all while backing gas price hikes that hit working people the hardest.”
"This budget fails Californians," said Assemblymember James Gallagher (R-East Nicolaus). "It breaks promises on affordability, wildfire prevention, ignores the will of voters by underfunding Prop. 36, and keeps pouring taxpayer dollars into handouts for illegal immigrants. Democrats had the chance to fix this by including Republican proposals, but they again refused."
California’s budget has been completely under control by the Democratic Party since 2011, with the majority party holding the governorship, all other statewide offices, and a majority of the Senate and Assembly.
In today’s budget action, Republicans in the Senate and Assembly cosponsored and introduced identical budget amendments on both floors. Senate Democrats used legislative loopholes to avoid a vote on the amendments, while Assembly Democrats allowed a vote but defeated the amendments. The result is the same: Democrats have jammed through yet another unbalanced, out-of-whack budget.
Click here for the amendment language, and here for the Assembly roll call vote.