If there was one conclusion that seems safe to attribute to Legislative Analyst Liz Hill and her early take on the governor’s budget, it is this: the budget may propose changes to some of the “autopilot” spending practices, but those changes are simply another form of “autopilot” operations.

Hill, whose non-partisan take on budget matters is widely respected in Capitol circles, told reporters this afternoon that Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget has many credible elements, but also calls for changes of which legislators should be wary.

Included on that list: the governor’s proposal to make both Proposition 98 (K-14 education) and Proposition 42 (transportation funding) almost untouchable, even in the most dire economic times.

“The proposal would really put more state spending on cruise control, ” said Hill. And while at it, she rattled off several other pieces of law, passed by voters, that could effectively lock future lawmakers into spending formulas.

One of those Hill mentioned: 2002’s Proposition 49, which would mandate state spending (in better economic times than this) on afterschool programs. And you may remember a certain celebrity bodybuilder who was the man behind Prop 49…

You can read Liz Hill’s early analysis of the governor’s budget here.