Commentary California is going to suffer a great loss after the November election when state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Red Bluff) departs the Legislature because of term limits. He graciously answered questions about his lengthy time serving the state, giving his perspective on the worsening of the budget process. This is crucial work in the Legislature,…

The California Legislature approved a $262.6 billion budget proposal June 28, the largest in the state’s history, but a Republican state lawmaker said Democrats have corrupted the process through backroom deals that rob transparency and leave no room for outside input. In the state budget proceedings, when reviewing senate and assembly versions of the budget, which are always different, a conference committee would…