Legality of California Governor's Budget Cuts Examined

The California "Legislature's legal adviser issued a four-page opinion Wednesday that asserted the bulk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $489 million in budget line-item vetoes were illegal," including cuts made to the state Office of AIDS, the Sacramento Bee reports. Legislative Counsel Diane Boyer-Vine, whose office provides legal counsel to the Legislature, and Deputy Legislative Counsel Michael Beaver have "concluded that the constitution only allows the governor to veto 'items of appropriation.' The attorneys said that term does not apply to cuts in previous appropriations," the article states. Assembly member John Perez (D) said that lawmakers will not file a lawsuit, but he anticipates that "several groups" affected by the cuts will do so (Yamamura, 8/7).

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