A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled on Wednesday that California Controller John Chiang does not have the authority to dock lawmakers pay for late budgets.
Judge David Brown sided with legislators, who said Chiang does not have the power to decide whether the state budget is balanced or block lawmakers’ salaries, as he did in June.
Last year, Chiang held back the Legislature’s pay based on new power he believed voters gave him when they approved two propositions meant to help get a budget done on time.
California legislative leaders sued the controller in January over the authority to suspend lawmakers’ pay for late budgets.
Proposition 23 said lawmakers would lose their pay if they did not pass a balanced budget by June 15.
The controller had suspended the salaries after determining the spending plan passed by a June 15 deadline was unbalanced.
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the budget before eventually signing a new version on June 29.
Chiang’s action cost each rank-and-file lawmaker $4,830, according to the Sacramento Bee.
