California: California State Budget

Democratic legislators have introduced a bill to put before voters the option of reducing the percentage required to pass a state budget down to a simple majority, a move likely to set off a battle in both the legislature and at the ballot box.

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) introduced the bill Wednesday, saying inaction on the state budget could be laid at the feet of the two-thirds majority requirement to pass a budget.

STATE CAPITOL - As they welcomed 11 new GOP Assembly members and three new Republican state Senators Monday, the minority-party members in Sacramento said their position is as firm as ever on how to solve - and not solve - the state's economic woes.

"Our margin is obviously smaller, but that's a difference without a distinction," said Assemblyman Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), who was elected to a third term on Nov. 4 and has served as vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.

STATE CAPITOL -- Flanked by legislative leaders in both parties, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced said Monday that he will call lawmakers back in for a special session on Nov. 5 to tackle the state's worsening budget problem.

Schwarzenegger said the session will deal with not only the budget - now more than $3 billion in deficit after being enacted only weeks ago - but economic stimulus, tax modernization, foreclosure relief and more.

The dysfunction of California government this year has convinced a Madera rancher and agricultural leader run for state Assembly as a Republican in 2010.

Don McKinney, 60, filed paperwork late last week to run for the 29th Assembly District seat that year, when current Assemblyman Mike Villines (R-Clovis) is termed out.

"There's got to be a way to reduce the terrible waste in government," McKinney, 60, told PolitickerCA.com in an interview. "You've got to run this a little more like a business."