With less fanfare than a kidney stone,
both houses passed the state budget Tuesday, leaving plenty of time for legislators to get decked out in their best reds, whites and blues for the festivities of the long weekend.
Evan Halper and Jordan Rau report for the Times "The plan would use most of the $7.5-billion windfall generated by an unanticipated surge in tax receipts to boost school spending after years of cutbacks and to pay off a significant chunk of the state's debt. The budget would also cut community college fees and expand law enforcement, social services and emergency readiness programs."
"It also calls for sweeping changes to the state's landmark treatment program for drug offenders."
"The budget bill passed the Senate 30 to 10 after five Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the spending plan. Ninety minutes later, the Assembly approved the bill 54 to 23, surpassing the needed two-thirds majority. The budget now goes to Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"Earlier in the day, Schwarzenegger had called the prospect for an on-time budget '
a huge victory for both parties, for Democrats and Republicans. But especially, this is a huge victory for the people of California.'"
The Chron's Lynda Gledhill reports the guv will likely keep that blue pencil in his pocket. "Schwarzenegger is
expected to sign the budget Friday, the day before the fiscal year starts, marking the first time since 2000 the state will begin its fiscal year with a spending plan in place. Because most of the details were agreed to, he is not expected to veto much spending."
Not everyone liked the budget, however.
Capitol Weekly reports that the changes made to Proposition 36 has
proponents of the measure ready to sue.
"
SB 1137, which was passed by both houses of the Legislature Tuesday night during the budget debate, will toughen Proposition 36, the California law that diverts non-violent drug offenders from the crowded prison system into drug treatment programs. Prop. 36 supporters, noting that the original law was overwhelmingly approved in 2000, say the Legislature had no authority to pass those changes.
'It's asking for a lawsuit. You can pretty much guarantee it,' said
Margaret Dooley of the Drug Policy Alliance. 'This bill violates the intent and purposes of Prop 36. That means it's unconstitutional.'"
She wasn't the only angry one last night.
"Some fiscal conservatives said the spending package does not go far enough in bringing the state's books into balance. Even with all the extra revenue and debt repayment, the state is still on target to spend more than it brings in by fiscal 2007-08. Current projections show lawmakers will be facing a shortfall of at least $3.3 billion for that fiscal year."
"'
We're bursting through the ceiling with this budget,' said Assemblyman
Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine)."
Joining DeVore's criticism, "
Phil Angelides issued a statement Tuesday night accusing Schwarzenegger of being insincere with his funding increases for education and blaming the governor for leaving the state with another multibillion-dollar deficit next year," reports the AP.
After all the hemming and hawing, and lots and lots of television ads, there appears to be
peace in the fight over cable television regulations, reports CW's Shane Goldmacher.
"California's powerful telephone and cable companies, bitter rivals who have been at loggerheads for months, came together Tuesday for the first time to jointly support a revised proposal to carve up the state's multibillion-dollar broadband Internet and video-services market."
"In a surprise move, the lead lobbyist for the cable industry,
Dennis Mangers, testified in the Senate utilities committee in support of the measure, which is authored by Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles."
"'We support the bill and we want to thank the chair and the speaker for collaborating around-the-clock [with us],' testified Mangers, president of the California Cable & Telecommunications Association."
Well, so much for that.
But cities apparently still have their problems with the bill. The Chron's Tom Chorneau reports "the complex bill drew
new criticism before a state Senate committee from city and county officials and consumer groups, both fearful over the loss of local control. The outstanding issues were significant enough that senators delayed voting on the bill, AB2987, and scheduled another public hearing on Thursday."
Also yesterday, "Death with Dignity" Died. With dignity. Well, at least
at the hands of Joe Dunn, who unexpectedly voted against the bill.
"AB 651, co-authored by Assembly members
Patty Berg, D-Eureka, and
Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, would have allowed mentally competent patients who are not expected to live for more than six months to obtain a prescription for life-ending medication from their doctors," reports Judy Lin in the Bee.
"During a 15-minute speech before casting his 'no' vote, Dunn said he feared that money -- whether it was the medical industry's need to contain costs or the government's willingness to provide more options for the needy --
would cause the scope of the bill to expand to include nonterminally ill patients."
We can neither confirm nor deny that he came to his position while going through boxes of Enron documents.
"'More often than not, public policy decisions are driven, unfortunately, by money concerns,' said Dunn, who is being termed out at the end of the year. Lee called Dunn's concerns unfounded because AB 651 set clear parameters about who would qualify to receive life-ending medication."
From our
Telephone-book sized ballot watch, a measure to
restrict local government's rights to use eminent domain powers has qualified for the November ballot, reports the Chron's Patrick Hoge. "The California measure would require governments to occupy seized property themselves or contract out for public use. It also could increase how much governments must pay for seized property."
"Critics say the California initiative is grossly misleading because in addition to the eminent domain provisions it would gut government's ability to regulate land use and urban growth."
Dan Walters says
Nuñez is changing the speakership. "Fabian Núñez, is demonstrating that even with that constraint, the speakership can regain much of its authority -- even meting out Brown-like discipline of Democrats who exhibit too much independence.
With Perata's diffidence, Núñez became the public face of Democratic opposition -- sometimes hostile, sometimes cooperative, always eager for media attention. Núñez's early performance in that role, especially when Schwarzenegger was riding high, was spotty. He was prone to malapropisms and wild flights of rhetoric, and Schwarzenegger was somewhat dismissive. But as Schwarzenegger's star dimmed, Núñez's burned brighter. He learned from doing and became a glib public spokesman and effective private negotiator."
And a happy
National Handshake Day to one and all from us here at The Roundup. "'A key to a good handshake, is going in web to web, locking thumb joint to thumb joint,' said
Pamela Holland, a workplace expert, author, and chief operating officer of Brody Communications Ltd., of Jenkintown, Pa."
"'
You need about two to three pumps, but don’t be a hanger-on and don’t go in so quickly and then out that makes you seem like a germophobe,' she said."
Where have we heard that advice before?