State Assembly Met Again Saturday

The California Assembly met again on Saturday in what was scheduled to be the final day of the Legislature session. But there is still no agreement on a state budget that is two months overdue. The State Senate on June 29th approved its version of a 99 billion dollar spending plan for the fiscal year that began July first. The impasse in the Assembly now in its 62nd day, has set an all-time record for failure to reach agreement on budget action in that chamber. Majority Democrats need four Republican votes in the Assembly to approve a budget. It would deal with a more than 23 billion dollar shortfall in state revenues.

Republicans have said they will not support a proposed three-dollars-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax, and other tax boosts proposed in the Democrats´ plan. Republicans have called for more spending cuts, although they haven´t spelled out what programs should be cut.