Republican Obstruction Screws Over Local Governments Again

California Senate Republicans, with the exception of Senator Abel Maldonado, blocked passage of SB 65, the legislation necessary to facilitate the ability of local governments to finance the loss of funding due to the implementation of Prop 1A in order to “balance” the state budget. Again, the Republicans in the Senate placed partisan bickeing over the needs of the people of California. In the end, they left our cities and the county holding the bag.

Paul McIntosh, Executive Director of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) wrote the following editorial, highlighting the petty drama involved and what it means to local government agencies.

CSAC: A Sad Day For Local Government

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…

The Senate adjourned without approving SB 65, the cash management bill that includes the clean-up to payments and deferral of HUTA (Highway Users Tax Account) or gas tax funds, or SB 67, the much-needed clean-up measure for Proposition 1A securitization. 

These measures had passed the Assembly early Friday afternoon, securing the requisite 2/3 votes needed for passage, only to get held up in the Senate when Senate Republicans, with the exception of Senator Abel Maldonado, withheld their votes on all bills that required a 2/3 vote. Read the complete article here.

This is truly a bad turn of events for local government. To allow petty bickering to obstruct the ability of cities and counties to weather the storm of uncertainty and funding losses, caused by the inability of the legislature to solve the state budget shortfalls, is simply inexcusable. We all will have to endure the cuts in vital services, like police, fire, public health, and community services. If this isn’t an example of why people who do not believe in the role of government, should not be elected to run government, I don’t know what is.