As you may have read, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed a state budget. I voted against it because it relied on unrealistic revenue projections and lacked much needed reforms. This inevitably will create another hole in the state budget in the coming months.

I am sorry to report that the budget included some tax increases that my Republican colleagues and I could not stop. One in particular is the collection of taxes on items purchased from Amazon and other online sites. All purchases made after midnight Thursday, June 30 will be taxed.

Our Founding Fathers fought to gain independence from the British and its taxation. Americans have prided ourselves on our freedom and entrepreneurial spirit. The lack of oversight and transparency when lawmakers increase our taxes is absolutely appalling.

The good news is that Republicans stood firm against extending the sales and income tax, which will allow Californians to enjoy some tax relief come July 1st.

This means every family will have $900 in savings to buy a gun, a dog or a security system to protect their families as a result of the Governor’s public safety policy of shifting 40,000 inmates from state prisons to communities across the state.