Baja California’s state congress approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s electoral and austerity reform package on April 9, voting 21 to 4 in favor of the measures known as “Plan B.” The session in Mexicali turned contentious as opposition lawmakers accused Morena-aligned officials of ties to organized crime, money laundering, and financial opacity.
The reform caps the state legislature’s budget at 0.70% of Baja California’s total expenditures. That ceiling would cut the congress’s current 1.2 billion peso budget (roughly $60 million USD) to approximately 644 million pesos ($32 million USD). The savings will be redirected to public works and social spending programs across the state.
Organized Crime Accusations on the Floor
Opposition lawmakers used the session to level pointed accusations against Morena-aligned officials. They referenced former Rosarito Mayor Araceli Brown, who was flagged by the United States government over alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel. Legislators also cited an ongoing investigation into a state utility director in Mexicali accused of purchasing a luxury property in La Jolla, California, with funds of questionable origin.
The accusations were made on the official record during floor debate. While not new, the claims added a charged atmosphere to a vote that will reshape local governance statewide.
What Changes for Local Government
Beyond the budget cut, the reform imposes tighter caps on municipal council sizes in cities including Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, and Rosarito. Salary limits for electoral officials will also take effect, part of Sheinbaum’s broader national push to reduce government spending at every level.
The Plan B package at the state level follows the federal version’s failure to secure a supermajority in the national Chamber of Deputies in March 2026, when defections from smaller allied parties blocked the constitutional reform. State-level versions like Baja California’s require only simple majorities in local legislatures, making passage far easier for Morena’s coalition.
Sheinbaum’s administration has framed the austerity measures as necessary to free up resources for social programs. Critics, including the four legislators who voted against the package, argue the reforms concentrate power in the ruling party while shrinking institutional checks on government spending.
The vote comes as the Sheinbaum government faces broader U.S. pressure to address criminal infiltration of local politics across Mexico, a dynamic that Brookings Institution analysts have described as a strategy to consolidate power over Morena’s own ranks.
First reported by Punto Norte.