As last summer proved, one of the greatest threats to job creation and employment in the state of California are budgetary impasses where political extremes use outmoded rules and requirements to push our fiscal house to the brink of collapse. Senator Noreen Evans is committed to responsible reforms that restore basic democratic principles to budgeting in Sacramento. To that common-sense end, Senator Evans has authored:

ACA 18 (State Budget) – Enacts two basic state budget reforms. It would allow the budget to be adopted by a majority vote. It also would allow the Legislature, by majority vote, to place budget-balancing tax measures on the ballot for voter approval. Introduced by Evans. 2009. Pending in committee.

SCA 14 (Ducheny) (Pay-As-You-Go Initiatives) – A proposed constitutional amendment to require that initiative measures presented to California voters must contain provisions covering their cost. Too often major policy proposals are placed on the state ballot without any attention to their fiscal impact. This amendment would prohibit an initiative measure that would result in a net increase in state or local government costs from being submitted to voters or having any effect unless and until the Legislative Analyst and the Director of the Department of Finance jointly determine that the initiative measure provides for additional revenues in an amount that meets or exceeds the net increase in costs.  Co-authored by Evans. 2009. Held in Senate.