The budget deal passed by the legislature this week is one of the worst budgets in a long time. It failed to address the revenue needed to provide healthcare, education, and other services upon which working families depend. Instead, it forces future taxpayers to carry the debt the politicians have ignored this year.
There is an important impact for all workers, public and private. While the republicans got all they wanted from this deal, the democratic leadership, for the first time ever, accepted republican demands for non-budget takeaways of overtime pay in order to pass the budget. AB 10 -- a “trailer bill” to the budget -- weakened overtime protections we have fought for years to preserve. Though the overtime takeaway was narrow, affecting only “technology” workers, it is the fist step in a series additional overtime and meal break takeaways sought by big business.
As a result, we can expect that every year republicans will hold the budget hostage in order to win other private-sector takeaways from workers.
The deal also includes new authority for the governor to cut programs mid year and restrict other revenues into a “rainy day” fund with limited use. The budget structure will keep the state from meeting the needs of many working families.
Among the many flawed schemes in the budget is the idea that we should trade billions of dollars in future corporate tax giveaways for a small amount of revenue over the next two years. The hole is being dug deeper for our children and grandchildren.
This budget deal is a very bad idea that will now create years of problems for public and private sector workers.
The democrats have been a real disappointment.
Below are those democrats who voted against labor on the overtime takeaway, led by Pro tem Don Perata and Speaker Karen Bass. We will later send you other bad votes on the budget.
Also below are more details on the budget deal.
Executive Secretary-Treasurer, California Labor Federation
The Votes on the Overtime Takeaway
Voted Against Labor
ASSEMBLY
Voted YES ("Yes" was the WRONG vote): Arambula, Berg, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Coto, De La Torre, De Leon, Dymally, Evans, Galgiani, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Nunez, Parra, Ruskin, Saldana, Solorio, Torrico, Wolk, Bass
SENATE
Voted YES ("Yes" was the WRONG vote): Alquist, Calderon, Correa, Florez, Machado, Migden, Padilla, Perata, Scott, Simitian, Steinberg, Vincent, Wiggins
Stood with Labor
ASSEMBLY
Voted NO ("No" was the RIGHT vote): Beall, Brownley, DeSaulnier, Feuer, Furutani, Hancock, Hayashi, Huffman, Jones, Karnette, Laird, Leno, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Portantino, Price, Salas, Swanson
Abstained: Davis, Eng, Fuentes, Hernandez, Krekorian, Soto (absent)
SENATE
Voted NO ("No" was the RIGHT vote): Cedillo, Corbett, Kehoe, Kuehl, Oropeza, Romero, Torlakson, Yee
Abstained: Ducheny, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Ridley-Thomas