SACRAMENTO, Jan. 10, 2025 — The California State Senate voted 24–9 on Jan. 10 to adopt Senate Resolution 1 (SR 1), creating a Budget and Fiscal Review Committee as a standing committee for the 2025–26 first extraordinary session, and in a separate roll-call approved a motion to permit amendments to bills that cross the desk Friday through Sunday, Jan. 10–12.

The measures are procedural but set the framework for how the chamber will handle legislation during the extraordinary session. Supporters said the committee will help the Senate process urgent fiscal bills; opponents said the actions diverted attention and resources at a time when the state faces pressing emergencies, including large wildfires in Southern California.

“SR 1 will establish the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee as a standing committee for the first extraordinary session to allow us to process the important legislation that is moving forward,” said Senator Scott Wiener, who presented SR 1 on the floor and asked colleagues for an “I” vote (in concurrence).

Senator Jones, who opposed SR 1 on the floor, called the resolution wasteful and questioned the timing. “This is an unnecessary and wasteful spending of valuable tax dollars,” Jones said, adding that using state funds to prepare litigation against the federal government — a point raised by some on the floor in broader debate about the extraordinary session — would be “tone deaf” while Californians were dealing with wildfire devastation.

Wiener pushed back that the resolution’s purpose was strictly procedural: “This resolution is about forming the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, not the special session,” he said, adding that the state should be prepared in case federal actions affect state programs.

Separately, Senator Gonzales moved adoption of amendments for bills that crossed the desk on Jan. 10–12 to allow those changes to be published and available to the public over the weekend. That motion also passed by a 24–9 roll-call vote after a brief floor exchange in which critics called the practice opaque and supporters said it increased transparency by allowing the public to view amendments as they are finalized.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Resolution 1 (SR 1): “Establish the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee as a standing committee for the 2025–26 first extraordinary session.” Mover: Senator Scott Wiener. Vote: Ayes 24, Nos 9. Outcome: Adopted.

- Motion to adopt amendments for bills crossing the desk Jan. 10–12: Mover: Senator Gonzales. Vote: Ayes 24, Nos 9. Outcome: Adopted.

What was argued on the floor

Opponents, led by Senator Jones, criticized aspects of the broader special-session agenda while speaking against SR 1. Jones warned against using state money to mount legal action against the federal government and objected to hourly rates cited on the floor for private counsel; he also urged attention to wildfire response instead of litigation. Supporters, including Wiener and other backers, characterized SR 1 as a necessary procedural step to ensure bills with fiscal implications are reviewed efficiently during the extraordinary session and said being prepared was prudent given uncertainties about federal policy.

Procedural and timing notes

The votes followed standard roll-call procedure. The chamber recessed between the regular session and the first extraordinary session to take up SR 1 and related motions. The Senate clerk read the resolution before Senate consideration, and the roll calls recorded a final tally of 24 ayes and 9 noes on both items. Absent members were noted during the roll calls, and the clerk announced the results before the chamber moved to other business.

Why this matters

The standing Budget and Fiscal Review Committee will be the principal vehicle in the Senate for examining fiscal impacts of extraordinary-session bills. Allowing amendments to be adopted and published over a weekend can speed the process of finalizing legislation but drew criticism from some senators who said weekend amendment windows risk reduced transparency; supporters said the motion gives the public a chance to see finalized language sooner.

What the record shows and limits

The Senate adopted SR 1 and the weekend-amendments motion on Jan. 10, 2025 by 24–9 votes. The transcript shows floor claims about potential state spending to pursue litigation and quoted suggested private-lawyer rates “over $1,600 an hour”; those figures and policy proposals were raised as part of broader debate and are reported here as statements made on the floor. The transcript does not record any substantive votes on programmatic policy tied to those claims during this session.