by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

California's housing slump is having effects on other aspects of the economy. The Sacramento Beereports that employment in the Sacramento region is down in severalsectors, and automobile sales are falling as well.

Assembly Republican Mike Villines (R-Clovis) is hoping that his budget deal with Democrats will hold up,but he's taking flaq from conservatives. Senator George Runner(R-Lancaster) said that the deal "left some serious policy and fiscalissues on the table."

Dan Walters criticizes the 15 "trailer bills" accompanying the budget for undermining democracy. The trailers includeSB 86, which requires that new buildings meet the standards of aprivate organization. "If the Legislature wants to impose greenbuilding rules on state agencies, it should do it, or at least givethat authority to some other publicly accountable agency. Handing it toa private group in a sneakily drafted bill is simply undemocratic,"writes Walters.

There's more...

Image courtesy of the Sacramento Bee. 

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Senate Democrats put all of their 25 votes up for the budget bill passed by the State Assembly at 4 a.m. Most of the trailer bills that spell out further provisions related to the budget have also received all the Democratic votes. Since 27 votes are needed and no Republican has “yet” voted for either the budget or trailer bills, the record is being kept open and the Senate is in “lockdown,” meaning that Senators cannot leave the chamber and meeting rooms in the back.

The Senate started its day with caucuses by both parties in the morning as the start time for session was delayed repeatedly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is now past 8 p.m. and a Republican caucus has just been announced.

Senate President pro tem Don Perata has said flat out: “I’m not reopening the budget. End of story. Period”

The one bill passed by the Assembly which is actually not part of the budget but apparently linked to it by Assembly Republicans, supposed to be a $600 million per year tax credit for Hollywood and other businesses, is dead. Perata had denounced it—but even Republicans in the Senate were wary of it because of drafting questions. Perata described it as being “written in the dark of night” and “typed by chimpanzees.”