Assemblyman Jones Bemoans 'Budgets Crafted in the Dead of Night'

The office of La Mesa's State Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-71) released another one-minute online video of the representative speaking about specific topics dealt with (or not) in Sacramento that drive him crazy.

In this video, Assemblyman Jones talks about 73 empty budget bills passed along party lines by Democrats in both houses of California legislature- what he describes as "Senate and Assembly Democrat’s manipulation of the budget process." 

The Los Angeles Times explains the empty bills:

"The bills serve as placeholders. As negotiations continue over the next month and a half, they will be filled in with specific details on the budget, then quickly passed in order to meet deadlines for finalizing the state's spending plan... The annual ritual is a reliable source of controversy in the Capitol, with Republicans accusing Democrats of preventing a transparent review of the budget."

The Heartland Institute adds:

"The empty budget “spot bills” usually sit unused until they are needed, usually on the day the budget is due, June 15. They are not vetted and don’t go through the usual public legislative committee process."

In the video Jones described the empty bills as an "abuse of the process."

"It’s no mystery why Californians give the Legislature such a low approval rating every year," Jones said. "Democrats pass these empty bills so they can add language to them later– much later. Far too often budgets are crafted in the dead of night to sneak in special interest favors."

Watch Assemblyman Jones in the latest "Are You Kidding Me" video

COMMENT: What do you think about the CA budget process?