By Anthony Bronson, Staff Writer

Proposition 25 aims to make finalizing a state budget easier so it can be passed closer to the constitutionally required July 1 deadline in the future. However, some say passing the budget with a 50 percent plus one vote could lead to a budget with lower qualitative standards.

“Proposition 25 changes legislative vote requirement to pass budget and budget-related legislation from two-thirds to a simple majority,” according to the online California Statewide General Election Official Voter Information Guide. The proposition “retains two-thirds vote requirement for taxes.”

According to state law, the legislature is required to send a budget to the governor for approval by June 15 and the governor is supposed to have the budget approved and signed into law by July 1. In the last 30 years, this deadline has been met just 10 times.

“The idea behind this one is we’ll get rid of the two-thirds requirement to pass the budget and mathematically, it makes perfect sense,” Tom Rivera, Associated Students Legislative  Research Commissioner, said. “It will be easier to pass the state budget if it’s only 50 percent plus one, especially if there is any huge party majority.”

Rivera also cautioned voters to keep in mind that a budget passed quickly may not lead to the socially optimal outcome.

According to Riviera, the biggest counterargument against the bill is that it might make passing the state budget too easy.

“Is 50 percent plus one going to make a budget less qualitative? Is it going to be a budget that’s not going to stay good for California, but be pushing some kind of agenda?” Riviera said.

According to the online voter guide, the passing of Proposition 25 will provide an incentive for California state legislators to finalize a budget on time.

“Proposition 25 reforms California’s broken state budget process (and) holds legislators accountable for late budgets by stopping their pay and benefits every day the budget is late.”

However, the opposition argues politicians and special interest groups are teaming to promote Proposition 25 to make it easier to raise taxes and act in their own self-interests.

“(Proposition) 25 doesn’t punish politicians (and) makes it easier for politicians to raise taxes and restrict our constitutional right to reject bad laws.”

Today, it will be up to the voters to decide if Proposition 25 will ease California’s budget problems or simply make them worse.