“Voters Send a Strong and Clear Message”
North State Leader Says Election Results Show Voters are Angry With Legislature

SACRAMENTO: Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) is not surprised by the defeat of five budget-related propositions at the polls, and predicted as much last February when the State Legislature voted to put the measures on the ballot to begin with. The North State leader says the results clearly show that voters are angry and they are sick and tired of a State Legislature that spends more than it has.

“I think the message is pretty clear,” said Senator Aanestad. “Voters are basically telling the Legislature to do the job that they were elected to do in the first place. I’m hoping the Majority Party gets this message as well, because I’m just as fed up and angry as California voters are.”

Senator Aanestad, who will take part in a news conference later this morning to promote a package of Senate Republican reforms that are designed to end back room deals and bring transparency to state government, believes that voters are looking to the Legislature for answers.

“Our constituents are losing jobs,” said Senator Aanestad. “They’re losing homes. They’re losing retirement plans that they’ve spent a lifetime building. They expect legislators to craft programs and proposals to help taxpayers, not treat them like an ATM machine.”

Senator Aanestad says the solution to the state’s budget troubles can be found if the State Legislature takes immediate and corrective action to stop spending more money than it has. This can be accomplished through measured cuts in jobs and services and the collective will to adopt structural budget reform measures that will result in long-term stability for state taxpayers.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned after eleven years of service in the State Legislature, it’s that we need basic reforms on how we craft a budget, how we prioritize government programs and most importantly, how we pay for those programs,” said Senator Aanestad. “Tax hikes aren’t the answer. Voters have sent that message. It’s time for reform.”

Senator Aanestad believes that all budget-cutting proposals must be on the table and given full and equal consideration as the Governor and the State Legislature enter a new round of budget negotiations immediately.

“There are no “sacred cows” with the deficit we currently face,” said Senator Aanestad. “We need responsible budget reform that will prevent future state legislators from spending more money than we have.”