California state Controller John Chiang will appeal a ruling that he cannot withhold legislator’s pay for passing an unbalanced budget, according to local reports.
Chiang filed a notice of appeal in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Last year, the controller suspended lawmakers pay after determining the spending plan passed by a June 15 deadline was unbalanced.
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed that budget before eventually signing a new version on June 29, 2011.
Chiang’s action cost each rank-and-file lawmaker $4,830, according to the Sacramento Bee.
In January, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Perez sued to challenge Chiang’s authority to dock lawmakers’ pay.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled that only the Legislature could determine whether the budget they come up with is balanced.
