Legislative Democrats and their allied interest groups are pressing the case to reduce the budget vote to a simple majority to avoid future standoffs. But be careful what you wish for.
In Washington, House Democrats are giving their majority vote authority the cold shoulder. As of Thursday night, the financial rescue deal is reported off track because House Republicans are insisting on a very different approach. Democrats could have approved the deal, reportedly signed off by the Senate and the White House, with a simple majority of the House, including about 50 Republicans. But instead of voting for it along mostly party lines, Democrats are insisting on a broader consensus that includes a majority of Republicans.
Would that circumstance never arise in a California budget debate?