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Politics & Government

Rules Committee Votes Down Open Budget Talks

Shortly after Assemblyman Anthony Portantino held a press conference Monday about alleged misleading budget figures released by the Assembly Rules Committee, the committee opted against the legislator's proposal to approve budgets in public.

Shortly after a press conference Monday in which Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada) attacked the data on by the Assembly Rules Committee, the committee voted against considering Portantino's proposal to approve Assembly budgets in public.

House Resolution 20 would have required the committee, which oversees spending in the California Assembly, to set budgets for lawmakers and committees more equitably, and to consider them in a public meeting.

The committee voted 6-5 Monday not to take up the resolution this year. According to an Associated Press story published on the San Jose Mercry News website, most members voted along party lines. Republicans largely backed the resolution, except for Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, who also voted for it.

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The Mercury News further wrote that the committee chose to wait for chairwoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) to review the Assembly's disclosure policies. She was appointed earlier this month to a task force created to assure open government, and will report back in January.

The resolution is another way to ensure full public disclosure of Assemblymembers' records, Portantino has said. by Portantino and various media outlets is attempting to open the books on all 80 Assembly members. Last week, Portantino that would force the Legislature to comply with the California Public Records Act.

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