Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) issued the following statement today in response to the passage of the Democrat majority vote budget:

“It’s disappointing that the majority party squandered its opportunity to provide a balanced, honest and transparent budget that Californians could be proud of.  There is no doubt about it. Democrats own this budget. Both Republicans and the public have been denied any real opportunity to review dozens of pieces of critical legislation prior to their being voted on.

This irresponsible budget grows state spending by more than $10 billion and relies upon the assumption that voters will approve a massive $47 billion tax hike. Democrats ignore the simple truth that voters have rejected the past eight tax increase proposals placed before them. While this budget should be a reflection of the state’s priorities, it threatens $6 billion of education cuts and lacks any of the meaningful reforms the people of California rightfully want.  There’s no pension reform, no job-creating regulatory reform and nothing that increases government efficiency.

The majority party is taking a huge gamble with this budgetary house of cards.  They refuse to see that there are limits to what this stagnant economy, weighted down by high taxes and overregulation, can possibly generate in the way of revenue.  Considering their track record on spending and revenue projections, they’ll be lucky if this sham budget doesn’t fall apart before the November election.  And if they are wrong, yet again, it will be – by their design – our schools, our students and our teachers who suffer the most.”