Drama This Afternoon in the California Capitol--Senate to Vote on Water Bond; Governor Schwarzenegger to Speak on Health Care Sp

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Senate Appropriations Committee late this morning passed a $6.8 billion water bond, Senate Bill X2 2 by Senate President pro Tem Don Perata in the special session on water sending it to an uncertain fate on the Senate floor where it is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Meanwhile, word has just been sent that Governor Schwarzenegger will be holding a press conference on the special session on health at 2:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Capitol.

Perata's water bond bill passed the fiscal committee on a strict party line vote of 10 to 7, with all Democrats in support and all Republicans opposed. Yesterday it passed out of the policy committee on a similar party line vote. Since general obligation bond bills need a two-thirds vote in both houses to be placed on the ballot where voters must also approve them, it does not appear all that likely that a deal can be cut on this in time for it to be voted on in the February 5, 2008 election. Democrats hold 25 of 40 seats and if they are all present and voting for the bill, at least 2 Republican Senators would be needed.

Republican Senators continued to oppose the bill and complained publicly at the hearing that it did not specifically fund dams and expansion of the state's above ground water storage in reservoirs. Perata said the bill, while not specific on dams, allows for them to be considered for funding and built if they are the most cost effective mechanism for delivering water.

Republican Sam Aanestad complained that SB 2X 2 was "inadequate financially." In this topsy turvy world, Republicans want to spend more and their proposal which was shot down yesterday in the policy committee would have cost over $9 billion and most of it would be spent on dams. In his closing before the committee today, Perata said that if a more expensive measure was put on the ballot, it would not pass and referenced the state's dire fiscal picture for next year.

Democratic Senators are talking to their Republican colleagues in their offices throughout the Capitol as I write this. It is not even certain that there will be a full roster of Senators in attendance, as the regular session has been adjourned and the floor vote in the special session was just announced yesterday.

When asked at yesterday's press conference if he had any indications of Republican Senators voting for the bill, Perata said to hearty laughter, "I don't know. I'm just on the brink of being excited--I'm just giddy with anticipation." He then said: "Honestly, I don't think so. He observed, "This feels a lot like what we went through this summer with the budget when we had a seven week delay because we couldn't arrive at a conclusion. I don't know how to solve the dams or us approach. We've been working on that. Maybe we could come to some conclusion on that. But my Republican colleagues have said very clearly, 'It's our turn.' And by 'our turn' they mean to build dams.'