Prop 25 helps fix California’s broken budget process with common sense reforms that protect taxpayers, schools and services, while holding legislators strictly accountable when they fail to pass the budget on time.

Prop 25 reforms the system in two ways:

1. Holds legislators accountable by preventing them from collecting their pay and benefits for every day the state budget is late — money they can’t recover later when they do pass the budget.
2. Breaks budget deadlock by allowing a majority of legislators to approve the budget — just like 47 other states. Prop 25 does not lower the 2/3rds vote required to raise taxes.

California’s Attorney General and the state’s non-partisan Legislative Analyst
have officially stated that Prop 25 does NOT lessen the vote required to raise
taxes. In fact, Prop 25 specifically says, “This measure WILL NOT CHANGE the
two-thirds vote requirement for the Legislature to raise taxes.”

With California in crisis, we need a Legislature that works.

 California, Arkansas and Rhode Island are the only states requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to pass a budget.

“The two-thirds hurdle is the single biggest cause of dysfunction in the state Capitol,” observes LA Times political columnist George Skelton, calling Prop 25 “the real deal.”

Under this system, a handful of legislators can hold the budget hostage, with the “ransom” being more perks for themselves, more spending for their pet projects or billions in tax breaks or favors for special interests. Meanwhile, taxpayers are punished and funding for schools, public safety and vital services become a bargaining chip.

By allowing a majority of legislators to pass the budget, Prop 25 helps end budget gridlock and move the process forward.

We all suffer when legislators play games with the budget.

When last year’s budget was late, California issued 450,000 IOUs to small businesses, state workers and others who do business with the state, costing taxpayers over $8 million in interest payments alone.

More than 16,000 teachers were laid off last year and 26,000 pink slips were issued this year because of the budget mess. Prop 25 ends the chaos, allowing schools to plan their budgets responsibly by letting them know what they can expect from the state. This isn’t possible when the state budget is late.

Late budgets waste tax money and inflate the cost of building schools and roads. Last year when the budget was late, road projects were shut down then restarted days later, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and further damaging California’s credit rating.

Prop 25 will help put a stop to budget games and gridlock, and hold legislators accountable when they fail to do their jobs.

Print and distribute the Yes on the Majority Vote Budget Initiative fact sheet and help us spread the message.

Yes on Prop 25 Fact Sheet

Yes on Prop 25 Spanish Fact Sheet

CHANGES LEGISLATION VOTE REQUIREMENT TO PASS BUDGET AND BUDGET-RELATED LEGISLATION FROM TWO-THIRDS TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY. RETAINS TWO-THIRDS VOTE REQUIREMENT FOR TAXES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

• 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 reimbursements 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 this measure. The extent of these changes 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.

Download Full Language of Proposal
Download LAO analysis

Prop 25 reforms California’s badly broken state budget process, so taxpayers, schools and services are protected, while legislators are held accountable if they fail to pass the budget on time. No budget, no pay —and no payback later.

Prop 25 is a common sense solution to California’s budget disaster, with legislators paying the price for late budgets, not taxpayers.

Prop 25 is a simple budget reform that breaks legislative gridlock by allowing a simple majority of legislators to approve the budget —just like in 47 other states. Meanwhile, Prop 25 preserves the 2/3 vote required to raise taxes.

Late budgets cost taxpayers millions of dollars, hurt schools and services, damage California’s credit rating and give special treatment to interest groups at the expense of ordinary citizens. Under the current system, no one is held accountable. This will change under Prop 25 —a common sense reform that:

• Holds legislators accountable when they don’t do their jobs. For every day the budget is late, legislators are docked a day’s pay plus expenses. Importantly, they can’t pay themselves back when the budget is finally passed.

• Changes the vote requirement needed for budget approval, so a majority of legislators can pass the budget, instead of allowing a small minority of legislators to hold it captive.

• Preserves the constitutional requirement that 2/3 of the Legislature must approve new or higher taxes.

When last year’s budget was late, California issued 450,000 IOUs to small businesses, state workers and others who do business with the state, costing taxpayers over $8 million in interest payments alone.

Under the current system, a small group of legislators can hold the budget hostage, with the “ransom” being more perks for themselves, spending for their pet projects or billions in tax breaks for narrow corporate interests. Meanwhile, taxpayers are punished and funding for schools, public safety and home health care services for seniors and the disabled becomes a bargaining chip. Real people suffer when legislators play games with the budget.

More than 16,000 teachers were laid off last year and 26,000 pink slips were issued this year because of the budget mess. Prop 25 ends the chaos, allowing schools to plan their budgets responsibly by letting them know what they can expect from the state. This isn’t possible when the state budget is late.

Late budgets waste tax money and inflate the cost of building schools and roads. Last year when the budget was late, road projects were shut down then restarted days later, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and further damaging California’s credit rating.

Please read Prop 25 carefully. It does exactly what it says —holds legislators accountable for late budgets, ends budget gridlock and preserves the 2/3 vote required to raise taxes.

For responsible budgeting and fiscal accountability, vote “yes” on Prop 25.

Signed,

Martin Hittelman
President, California Federation of Teachers

Kathy J. Sackman, RN
President, United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals

Nan Brasmer
President, California Alliance for Retired Americans