In the Resolutions Committee meeting here in Sacramento, the committee approved a “Yes” vote for all the measures on the May 19 ballot. The discussion was fairly revealing and typical of what I’ve seen around the state. The committee members, almost to a man except for Calitics’ own Brian Leubitz, argued that the ballot measures reflected the best that the legislature could do, and spun tales about the consequences of failure. Out in the audience, the crowd loudly cheered any time this official narrative was challenged by remarking on the consequences of success, for example the spending cap that would ratchet down state services permanently. My favorite part was when someone, arguing for 1D, said that “if we don’t pass this, children will suffer painful cuts.” Which of course is the POINT of 1D. “We have to think of the children when we cut programs for children!” was the basic message.
Once again, we see the grassroots/establishment divide, where the legislature and their compatriots in learned helplessness wail about tales of woe while urging a Yes vote on measures that would make things demonstrably worse in the state. We’ve gone through this over and over again, so the fact that the resolutions committee supported the measures doesn’t surprise. However, the strength of the opposition in the room tells me that something may occur on the floor on Sunday.
I would guess that the establishment will try to push the entire package through, and since the only real institutional opposition is on 1A, there will be an effort to pull 1A from the consent calendar. I think it’s genuinely up for question as to whether or not it was successful, which is interesting in and of itself.
More later…
The crowd, like the Resolutions Committee, was overwhelming in favor of Prop 1A. Several committee members challenged the opponents for their alternative. And, of course, there is no realistic alternative — though I’ll keep watching Calitics for it.