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Friday, December 26, 2014

Looking into the future

With not much happening in Sacramento in this Christmas-to-New-Years interval, there is now speculation - so far that's all it is - as to what might happen in the near future.  In particular, there is speculation about what moves might be made by various interest groups and the legislature to put things on the ballot.  The initiative route requires a lot of signatures but it has been pointed out that the required number of valid signatures at the moment is particularly low because of low turnout in the last election in November.  (Yours truly doesn't think the lowered signature hurdle would be a big factor in the decision; someone would still have to spend at least a million dollars to get something on the ballot when all is said and done. But the signature thing it makes for a nice article.)

One possibility for a ballot proposition is an extension of the Proposition 30 temporary taxes.  Governor Brown, when asked about that prospect, hasn't been keen about it.  But there is some possibility that the California Teachers Assn. might push for an extension.  See http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article4983699.html  Blog readers will know that the Regents endorsed Prop 30, but now argue that UC didn't get its fair share of the added revenue.  That argument is part of their rationale for the tuition-or-more-state-funding plan unveiled at the November Regents meeting.  Would the Regents support an extension of Prop 30 if assured they would get a bigger share?  What if the governor actively opposed an extension?

Who knows?  Even Brown isn't sure of what might happen in his 4th term:

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