by guest writer Will Shonbrun

The only way to fix California’s economic/fiscal mess is to change the structure of the legislature that requires a two-thirds vote in both houses to both pass a budget and to raise taxes. Whether this is feasible is an open question, but I don’t think there can be any doubt that this inequitable requirement is the stumbling block that has ground government to a halt. It has obstructed and deadlocked California government and in the view of some is grossly undemocratic.

While there are some other states that require more than a simple majority to raise taxes in certain circumstances, such as spending exceeding a cap or funding one-time projects, California’s legislative restriction puts it in the rarified company of only two other states, Rhode Island andArkansas, in requiring more than a simple majority to pass budget or appropriation bills. This bizarre state of affairs has enabled a small minority of Republicans to hold the legislature, and by extension millions of Californians, hostage to their whims. This is the elephant in the room – hell, it’s the room itself, and it begs the question: Can anything be done about it?

The complete post can be found at http://empirereport.org/reports/20090614-california-legislature