[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Legislature is close to a deal on the 52-day old state budget, butlawmakers left session late yesterday uncertain about their progress,with Speaker Fabian Nunez (left) saying he was "puzzled" about GOP holdouts, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. At this points, the hold-upappears to be over Republicans demands to reduce global warming relatedlawsuits and increase funding for suburban schools, both of littleimportance to the overall budget.

A group of parents and caregivers took to the streets in the Bay Areayesterday to remind Californians of the budget delay's real-lifeimpact, the Oakland Tribune reports. A number of day-care centers whosechildren receive state subsidies are turning to neighbors and churches to feed those in their care, and the kindness of strangers will also last them so long.

A new Field Poll shows a plurality of Californians inclined to supportefforts at splitting the state's electoral votes by Congressionaldistrict, the Chronicle reports. The tentative ballot measure filed byRepublican operatives is a partisan power grab that would essentiallygive an Ohio-sized prize to the GOP presidential candidate without true electoral reform.

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