Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: August 31, 2007             No. 19

And We Have A Budget!  

After a swing and a miss the prior evening, the Senate came together today, August 21, to pass the already 52-day late Budget.

The Senate concurred with the Budget passed by the Assembly last month, sending the final Budget to Governor Schwarzenegger for approval. Today’s 27-12 Senate vote ends the lengthy stalemate on approving the 2007-08 Budget with Senators Dick Ackerman (Tustin) and Abel Maldonado (Santa Maria) providing the two Republican votes needed for passage.

The Senate also approved the various trailer bills passed by the Assembly in conjunction with the Budget. One additional trailer bill was introduced today to address concerns expressed by the Senate Republicans, who, with the exception of Senator Maldonado, have refused to vote for the Budget.

One of the additional trailer bills approved today reforms the California Environmental Protection Act to protect public transportation bond revenues from climate change-related lawsuits. This issue was a major concern for the Senate Republicans, as the Attorney General has been very active in this area, even filing suit against San Bernardino County for not considering greenhouse gas emissions in its general plan.
(Attorney General Brown and San Bernardino County settled the lawsuit this morning.)

Governor Schwarzenegger, who still needs to act on the spending plan, has expressed his support for the Budget. To satisfy Senate Republican demands for a zero operating deficit, the Governor has committed to use his line-item veto authority to eliminate $700 million from the Budget.

If the Budget is signed today, it would tie for the third latest Budget.

[Posted to the Internet 8/21/07]                                                                                                     —Dave Heckler and Terry Anderson