A major concession Governor Jerry Brown made to secure Republican votes for his cap-and-trade extension was to allow a constitutional amendment to move forward that gives Republicans a chance to influence spending of cap-and-trade money one time in 2024. But that doesn’t mean Brown will campaign to pass the amendment.
Republicans insisted that the provision changing the voting rules on the cap-and-trade money be put in the constitution to avoid any shenanigans from the majority Democrats. The move doesn’t necessarily clear the path of mischief from the Democrats. There is a question if the two-thirds vote must apply to all the cap-and-trade spending or just a portion.
At least seven years away, the focus of what Republicans will do with the power (assuming the legislature is not even more Democratic than it is now) is on Brown’s pet project, the bullet train. The high-speed-rail already receives major funding from cap-and-trade revenue. An opportunity to turn off the funding spigot might be tempting to Republicans.
As I’ve written previously, cutting off funds for the train in 2024 will not be an easy thing to do because the first leg of the bullet train should be nearly operational at that point. Gov. Brown is counting on that.
But while the funding decision is seven years from now, the constitutional amendment granting a two-thirds vote to scrutinize funding will appear on the ballot for voters to approve next June.
Will Brown campaign for the amendment to allow two-thirds vote on cap-and-trade spending?
He will make clear how he stands without being committal on the measure. Consider what happened when Proposition 55 was on the ballot in 2016. The measure extended the top income bracket tax increases that were originally passed with Proposition 30 of 2012.
Brown worked hard to pass Prop 30 and said the measure would solve some of the state’s funding problems while being a temporary tax. While he was not a proponent of Proposition 55, he sent signals that he would like the tax to continue.
Here was my observation on how Brown dealt with a question at a news conference about the tax extension headed for the ballot: “There was no wink from Gov. Jerry Brown when he said he wouldn’t involve himself in the Proposition 30 tax extension issue at his press conference Friday, but if you listened to the context of what he said you heard an audible equivalent to a wink. He said that Prop 30 was temporary; he wasn’t taking a position on the extension; he’ll let the people decide. Wink.”
At the news conference, Brown said he would not leave his predecessor with a budget problem. He was thinking of his legacy. The bullet train is a big part of that legacy. Whatever threat to the train might exist under the proposed constitutional amendment would disappear if voters defeat the amendment.
Coming out to directly oppose the amendment would appear underhanded since supporting Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes’ idea for the amendment was part of the deal that secured the votes Brown needed.
Will Brown campaign for the amendment? He’ll “let the people decide.” But given recent history, another “wink” might do the trick in getting the result he desires.