Special Session Update—November 18, 2008
Despite the constitutional deadline of November 30, 2008, to send special session legislation to the Governor, legislative leadership has set its deadline for completing work on a special session package for a week before then. They’re saying that special session actions must be completed by November 23, 2008, because Legislative Counsel needs a week to switch over Capitol computers for the new legislative session that begins December 1, 2008.
To meet the November 23 deadline, the Assembly scheduled a Floor Session for noon on Sunday. We have learned that the Senate will be going into a Floor Session at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. We do not yet have details as to what they’ll be voting upon, but Democrats in both houses are indicating that they will not adopt cuts without additional revenues. Whether they can get Republicans—or at least a handful of Republicans—to agree to the revenue side of the equation is not yet clear, but “Big 6” discussions have continued, and will undoubtedly go on until Sunday’s Floor Sessions.
The Governor’s spokesman, Aaron McLear, reportedly told The Sacramento Bee that Governor Schwarzenegger held meetings with legislative leaders in his office last week and on Monday, November 17, 2008. He is reportedly also calling legislative leaders by telephone. McLear says that the Governor intends to be in Sacramento on November 19 for a “Big 5” (or “Big 6”?) session.
Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has delayed the release date for its annual Fiscal Forecast, and now says it’s likely to be published on Friday, November 21. Despite the delay, the LAO will be meeting with advocates from School Services of California, Inc., (and other organizations) on November 20 to discuss the Special Session report they released last week, share details on their recommended program suspensions and eliminations for the current and budget years, and talk about their five-year forecast that will be issued in print later, hopefully on Friday.
—Deborah Harmon