Karen England is executive director of Capitol Resource Institute, a pro-family organization in Sacramento, California. Its website is at: www.capitolresource.org.
Last week, the California Assembly passed the annual budget-three weeks after the constitutional deadline for passing the state budget. Disappointingly, six Republicans jumped ship to vote for the bloated proposal that still includes funding for such shameful state-sponsored activities as abortion-on-demand. After passing the seriously imbalanced budget, assembly members went home for their month-long vacation.
The state Senate, however, is unable to start its vacation since the Republican Caucus has decided to play hardball on the budget. The GOP refusal to approve the irresponsible budget bill prompted Senate Leader Don Perata to actually lock the entire Senate in its legislative chamber overnight on Friday evening. His bullying tactic failed as the Republicans are holding strong against the increasing pressure to fold by voting for a deficit-spending budget.
Until a budget is passed, senators must remain in Sacramento to negotiate and then vote on any budget. Please call your state senator and urge him/her to produce a budget that not only reigns-in deficit spending, but ends the anti-family policies currently funded.