Majority Rules

Measures to pass an initiative changing the legislative vote requirement has been put into motion. The initiative supports changing the legislative vote necessary to pass a budget from two-thirds to a simple majority.

The measure called the "On-Time Budget Act of 2010" and would force legislature to meet it constitutional duty to pass a Budget act by June 15. Previously, the Budget Acts were not passed till August and in 2008, the Budget Act was passed three months late on September 16.

The late budget passage can have a sudden and devastating effect on individual Californians and California businesses. Individuals and families can be deprived of essential governmental services.

The main cause for this delay is the inability of the Legislature to pass a budget in a timely manner because there is a super majority two-thirds vote required to pass a budget. With political party leaders refusing to compromise to solve the State's budget problems and the need for the two-thirds vote requirement the budget act is subject to delay.

Only three states in the country, California, Rhode Island, and Arkansas, abide by the require a vote of two-thirds or more of the legislature to pass a budget.

The purpose of the initiative would require Legislators to forfeit their pay if the Legislature fails to pass the budget on time with a majority vote instead of a two-thirds vote.