The most controversial portion of this bill is a change in the required majority vote to pass budget-related bills and tax increases. Currently, California is one of three states in the U.S. that requires a two-thirds majority to pass these – one of those other two states is Arkansas. Let us learn from the mistake that is Arkansas.

California’s voting districts have been arranged so that political parties have such a strong hold on their territory that all they have to do is hinder the other party to get re-elected, slowing grueling processes like passing a state budget to a hung-over crawl. One-third of the representatives shouldn’t be able to make the final calls. The legislators also take a hit to their pay if they don’t pass the budget on time. Prop 56 also requires that, in time of plenty, a rainy-day fund be set aside with some of the surplus revenues.

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