Gov. Brown’s Tax Plan Stymied by Unified GOP

Gov. Jerry Brown needs just a handful of Republican votes in the Legislature to get his latest tax proposal before California voters, but the GOP minorities in both state legislative chambers are holding ranks to block the referendum and allow tax hikes to expire on schedule, The New York Times reports.

Brown wants to extend the tax increases on income, sales and car registrations, saying drastic cuts to essential services are coming if those taxes are allowed to lapse. But GOP legislators say that in key areas such as state employee pension reform, Brown sided with unions and offered Republicans too little to earn their co-operation.

And then he just stopped talking to them, opting instead to publicly campaign alongside state workers to scare up support for the taxes.

“The governor unilaterally canceled negotiations with the Republicans,” said a spokesperson for Senate Republican leader Bob Dutton. “He’s now on an intimidation tour trying to pick up a couple of Republican votes.”

Some Democrats, meanwhile, are Brown urging Brown to abandon his campaign pledge to submit any tax questions to the voters and instead try to just push the tax extensions through the Legislature.