This week has brought a flurry of committee hearings at the California Capitol. Lawmakers are trying to ensure their bills meet tomorrow’s looming deadline of passing a first committee test and many Republican-authored measures are dying quiet deaths.
When Governor Jerry Brown asked Republicans what they wanted as part of a budget deal, GOP lawmakers suggested pension and regulatory changes and a state spending cap. With those talks stalling a few weeks back, Republicans are pushing bills they say would solve the problems – and majority Democrats are blocking those bills. GOP Senator Bob Huff saw his bid to eliminate redundant regulations stall in committee this week. He calls it “business as usual.”
“There’s a lot of rhetoric about how we want to change things,” Huff said. “But when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road, we just can’t get change through this legislative process. It’s not happening. So you have good Republican bills getting killed.”
Budget negotiations are expected to restart later this month when the governor releases his revised spending proposal. Huff said Republican priorities would “probably” be part of a deal.
