California News of the Week: Bill Deadlines, Budget Cuts, and Assembly Leadership Struggles

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Hannah Beth Jackson

Bill deadlines, budget cuts, Assembly leadership struggles and ever-increasing bad news on the State's burgeoning deficit are the hallmarks of this week's update. Simply put: The news continues to be dreary.

The leadership vacuum in the Assembly has yet to be resolved, although the Dems have agreed that there will be no transfer of power until after the budget is finalized so that the four-time budget negotiator Fabian Nunez will be able to represent the lower house in the budget negotiations, rather than a newer and more untested replacement. With that deal made (and assuming it isn't broken), the rest of the battle continues. It's still pretty much inside baseball. Most of those who are watching Sacramento at all are interested in whether there will be significant cuts in programs in which they are personally or professionally involved. For those interested in this leadership power play, Dan Walters in the Sac Bee this week has a summary handicapping several of the key players. And while the game of palace intrigue continues, the legislature has started to address the real challenges of major budget decisions and legislative priorities for this, the second half of the legislative session.

On the Republican side, the new Senate Minority Leader has been chosen. Modesto Senator Dave Cogdill, a hard-liner who boasts of his anti-choice, anti-gay, "A" rating from the NRA, among other right-wing litmus tests, states his position on a balanced approach to dealing with the budget shortfall: "If we raise taxes, it's like throwing an anchor to a drowning man." This will certainly make for an interesting budget debate this year. For more on who will be representing the Republican point of view in the Senate this coming year please click here.

The LAO steps up to offer real solutions to the budget mess