The L.A. Times reports (via PoL and Bainbridge) that just in case Golden State government were not dysfunctional enough otherwise, you-know-who has gotten involved:
Lawyers are being drafted in droves to unravel spending plans passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. The goal of these litigators is to get back money their clients lost in the budget process. They are having considerable success, winning one lawsuit after another, costing the state billions of dollars and throwing California’s budget process into further tumult.
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Its incredible that a judge would subvert the legislative process and substitute his own. Oh wait, this is California, where it should be obvious the disdain the regular people have for democracy and their legislatures.
If the state were to be declared bankrupt would this allow them to “wipe the books clean” and start with a fresh slate? Alternately could they pass a law stating all previous guarantees null & void, that no program is required to receive a set amount.
I would think something like these proposals would allow them to begin building a budget from the ground up instead of trying to back into one by funding all the mandates.
Just a thought
What was it old Bill said?
“First thing we do…”
[…] this, from the LA Times via Overlawyered: In the last few months alone, the courts added more than a billion dollars to the state’s […]