The State Constitution requires the budget be passed each year by June 15, so the Legislature spent Father’s Day debating and voting on the $108 billion general fund state budget.

While debating the bill on the Assembly floor I felt like Bill Murray in the romantic comedy, “Groundhog Day,” where he lives the same day over and over until he “gets it.” Clearly the state Legislature still doesn’t get it.

This year’s budget was a missed opportunity to put California’s state government on a firmer foundation. Not only is this year’s budget the biggest in our state’s history at $156.4 billion, but it also continues to lock in more program spending increases for the future without taking into account that we are living off of higher, temporary taxes.

Our local schools will not be well served by the policy changes that are included in the budget. Earlier in the session, we voted to place a “rainy day” fund on the November ballot so the state could start saving for a future recession, which is inevitable. The majority party passed a budget trailer bill that places a cap on school district reserves.

Many school districts survived the Great Recession because of their strong reserves. Although cuts made at the local level hurt, they could have been even more devastating if not for the fiscal prudence of our local school boards. The majority party placed this cap on local school district reserves as a payoff to the California Teachers Association for its neutrality on the rainy day fund. I have sent a letter to the governor asking him to veto this provision.

The final budget also fails to include language that would allow for more accountability in how the state spends Local Control Funding Formula dollars, and ensure that the neediest of schools get their fair share of funding.

As for higher education, the governor failed to make higher education a priority and did not fulfill his promise to use Proposition 30 to fund public education, which California voters approved. The budget rejected a bipartisan request that I joined to increase funding for the California State University by $95 million. No additional funding beyond what was proposed by the governor for CSU campuses was given, and there were only very minor increases for UC campuses.

However, CSU and UC could receive a funding boost of $50 million under the final budget – but only if revenues increase above the governor’s projections. It is highly questionable whether these dollars will materialize, given our state’s over-reliance on volatile tax revenue.

One of my biggest budget frustrations is that the governor still plans to move forward with the high-speed rail boondoggle. The budget takes $250 million from cap-and-trade to fund high-speed rail. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to defund high-speed rail on a bipartisan vote. The project also faces significant legal challenges in the federal courts. The Legislative Analyst’s office has warned against using cap-and-trade dollars for high-speed rail, as it will actually increase emissions during construction.

Even after all of the push back, the governor and majority party leaders have decided to ignore the opposition and signaled “full steam ahead” for high-speed rail. They’ve also made it an ongoing appropriation, taking away the Legislature’s right to appropriate and conduct oversight. The high-speed rail project continues to be the “blank check to nowhere.”

Lastly the state’s food stamp program, CalFresh, is being made available to convicted drug felons. Increased health care payments did not go where they’re most needed. We should be using our resources to provide healthcare and assistance to the families that are most in need.

Sacramento’s spending habits have reached a new high, and I will continue the fight to keep us on the path of living within our means. Next year I hope the Legislature finally “gets it” so we stop reliving the same budget mistakes over and over again.

Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, represents California’s 38th Assembly District.