Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Red Bluff, issued the following statement in reaction to today’s passage of “Budget Bill Jr.” and a handful of budget trailer bills:

“The majority party has fully corrupted the budget process. This year they are in rare form, with in-the-dead-of-night deals that rob transparency, scant public input and little or no Republican input.

 

“Over time, they have eliminated the Budget Conference Committee, made massive budget amendments over the weekend and introduced a blizzard of so-called trailer bills.

 

“I’m disgusted.

 

“The partisan agreement between legislative Democrats and the governor is irresponsible record-breaking spending that grows new, duplicative feel-good government agencies, departments and programs.

 

“A top priority should be paying down the state’s staggering debt and boosting the rainy-day fund, because it’s inevitable that there will not be surplus dollars in future years.

 

“Other priorities should be building large above-ground water storage, managing our forest to prevent wildfires and putting victims’ rights above the rights of violent criminals.”