Special Session Update - November 24, 2008
As was reported on Friday, November 21, 2008 (see “Special Session Update—November 21, 2008”), both houses of the Legislature cancelled their plans for weekend floor sessions that were to have been held on Sunday, November 23, 2008.
The new date to watch is Tuesday, November 25, 2008, as the Assembly is set to meet at noon, with the Senate planning to meet later in the day; although no time has been announced.
Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) announced after today's “Big 5” meeting that tomorrow's session is likely to occur, and that Democrats will put up a proposal for consideration. Cogdill was clear that no deal had been struck, but that the proposals were being revised by his Republican caucus colleagues.
Rumors continue to circulate around the Capitol of compromises in the works; one such plan would increase the vehicle license fee (VLF) in exchange for various spending cuts and the placement of a strict spending cap proposal on the next statewide ballot for consideration by the voters.
As it stands, Senate Democrats need two votes in order to pass any urgency or tax-related measures. There is an imperative, at least among Senate Democrats, to complete their work on the 2008-09 Budget before December 1, 2008, since once the new Legislature takes office, they'll need three Republican votes for any Budget-related measures, instead of the current two votes necessary to reach the two-thirds (or 27 votes) threshold.
The additional Republican vote is necessary because Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) will be resigning his Senate seat shortly to assume his new position on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and a special election will need to be called to fill his soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat.
—Dave Heckler