SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The California State Assembly on Thursday announced that Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) has been chosen to serve as vice-chairman of the Assembly’s Budget Committee. As one of the first acts in this new leadership role Gorell introduced legislation that will give California’s voters the ability to make an earlier decision on implementing the state’s “rainy day” surplus fund. Assembly Bill 54 calls upon the legislature to allow voters to decide upon the pending “rainy day fund” ballot measure sooner than the 2014 general election.
Designed to help the state avoid future budget shortfalls, the measure was originally slated to appear before voters last November, but was postponed two years by the majority party to avoid its possible consequences to spending. However, the Legislative Analyst’s Office is now reporting that in light of the passage of Proposition 30’s tax increases and a forecasted economic recovery, there is “a strong likelihood that the state will have budgetary surpluses” by the 2014-15 budget year. If the state is headed for budget surplus, voters should be able to decide in June of 2014, if not before, how the state will forever handle surplus revenue.
“I am truly honored to hold this position,” stated Gorell. “I look forward to working with both Democrats and Republicans, to be prudent with taxpayer dollars and to refrain from overspending so our Golden State can return to solvency and prosperity once again.”
“Jeff Gorell has been a strong leader for our caucus in making state government more efficient, effective and accountable. As vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, Jeff will continue to be an effective voice for California taxpayers; fighting hard for fiscally-responsible budgets that reflect the priorities of all Californians,” said Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office report on California’s fiscal outlook can be viewed at: http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2012/bud/fiscal-outlook/fiscal-outlook-2012.aspx
