Prop 76.
- Limits state spending to prior year’s level plus three previous years’ average revenue growth.
- Changes state minimum school funding requirements (Proposition 98); eliminates repayment requirement when minimum funding suspended.
- Excludes appropriations above the minimum from schools’ funding base.
- Directs excess General Fund revenues, currently directed to schools/tax relief, to budget reserve, specified construction, debt repayment.
- Permits Governor, under specifi ed circumstances, to reduce appropriations of Governor’s choosing, including employee compensation/state contracts.
- Continues prior year appropriations if state budget delayed.
- Prohibits state special funds borrowing.
- Requires payment of local government mandates.
My Vote: Yes.
Things can get complicated pretty quickly when they start involving budgets, limiting spending, veto powers, and such, but I think I have this one figured out for the more part. It boils down to fiscal responsibility and preventing the legislature from spending outside our means. The state currently spends about $50 billion on public education a year, about half of the annual budget, and this proposition ties any increases or decreases in spending to the average revenue of the previous 3 years. So if the state begins to take in more revenue, spending will be increased at an appropriate level, but if revenues decrease (like it did in 2000-2001) the appropriate measures must be taken to keep us from running a deficit. Gray Davis was only half the problem before he got booted, the legislature kept sending him pork filled legislation and he just kept signing whatever came across his desk. The only way this will give the governer expanded power is if the legislature is irresponsible enough to spend more money then we actually have.
