Today’s Commentary is guest-authored by California Board of Equalization Member Bill Leonard, an outstanding conservative leader here in the Golden State…
Senate Republicans Break Their Rusty Cage
Imagine a friend with talking parrots. He keeps them in a cage all year covered with a drape, feeds them occasionally, cleans their cage less often, yet once a year around June 30th when the relatives come to visit he drags out the cage, pulls off the drape, and orders the parrots to talk. This is the Senate Republican Caucus. And because they have not performed on cue they are being called obstructionist, stubborn, uncooperative, and even terrorists.
The truth is that the Democrats’ changes to the Governor’s Budget have only been available since mid-June and the Republicans have been detailing their objections to that “work product” since it was made public. I sympathize with those bothered by the lateness of the budget but this outcome is entirely predictable when the budget itself has been kept under wraps for so long. California has a constitutional requirement that the budget bill requires a two-thirds vote of both houses. This is not a new rule. Past majority party leaders have tried to find ways around this rule and they have failed. So there is no other choice but to engage the minority party in the debate, negotiations, and agreements. Why are the Republicans being treated like caged parrots when they are by order of the Constitution fundamental to the process?
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