Democrats win supermajority in California Assembly

[RandySF]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Democrats have gained a supermajority in both houses of the California Legislature for the first time since the 19th century, after the Assembly reached the critical two-thirds threshold Wednesday.

That gives California's majority party complete dominance of state politics and the ability to raise taxes unilaterally if they choose. The party already had secured a two-thirds majority in the state Senate after last week's election.

Voting results in two key Assembly districts announced this week will give Democrats 54 seats in the 80-member Assembly, for a bare two-thirds majority. On Wednesday, The Associated Press called the 65th Assembly District race in Orange County for Democratic challenger Sharon Quirk-Silva.

She unseated incumbent Republican Assemblyman Chris Norby, 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent.


http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21998325/democrats-win-supermajority-california-assembly

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This will bring great actions........and greater responsibilities.

If the Democrats allow themselves to be too enthusiastic about all the changes that the Republicans have stopped for so many years, they (the Dems) may find their super-majority grabbed away...

Nonetheless, I hope they do great things!

It's time!

[Raksha]

2. The very FIRST thing that supermajority needs to do

is to make that supermajority rule for raising taxes go away, so California is never again hamstrung by it when taxes need to be raised, whether we have a supermajority at the time or not.

How was that turkey enacted in the first place? Was it by ballot initiative, or was it passed by the state legislature in the normal way? I don't recall, although I remember something called the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association in connection with it. Did Howard Jarvis sponsor a ballot initiative or what?

I'm asking because I'm trying to find out what would have to be done to repeal it. If it was originally a ballot initiative, it could only be repealed by another initiative, right?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I believe the 2/3 rule came in with Prop 13. Seems to me I saw that...

[RandySF]

4. The 2/3 rule is in the State Constitution...

which desperately needs to be revamped.

[Live and Learn]

7. Peggy is right. Prop 13 for taxes and Prop 26 for fees. nt

[dem4ward]

5. And I sure hope they do everything they want ASAP

before the next election! Fix us up baby!

[Raine]

6. HURRAY, I'm expecting good things! nt