Schwarzenegger, legislators stuck on budget, other topics

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed legislators this week to act quickly on legislation that would add more ballot measures to the Nov. 4 election ballot, but a lack of progress seemed more likely to threaten any legislator's plans to attend party conventions instead.

The Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday that Schwarzenegger sent legislative leaders a letter saying he would sign a bill amending a Nov. 4 bond for high-speed rail. The letter also told them to work on other bills related to a water bond, borrowing against state lottery funds to balance the budget, and a rainy-day fund/spending cap for the state budget.

All three items would have to go before voters for approval. Schwarzenegger had previously said he would sign no new bills until a budget was on his desk, but backed off that pledge in the letter.

Though the official deadline for placing items on the Nov. 4 ballot has passed, many legislators believe they have until early September to do so.

But it appeared Tuesday that, other than the high-speed rail amendment, legislators were making little headway on Schwarzenegger's list of requests.

The Assembly had a hearing scheduled on the water bond Tuesday afternoon, but Republicans and Democrats are split over whether the bond should include continuous appropriations for aboveground water storage, as Republicans want, or appropriations subject to annual legislative approval, as Democrats have proposed.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said earlier this week that she was doubtful a budget proposal would be crafted this week. That, too, is stalled by partisan differences over whether more cuts and budget reforms are needed to bring the balance into budget, as Republicans are demanding, or whether some kind of tax increase is needed, as Democrats are pushing.

In a statement released Tuesday, Bass said Schwarzenegger should pressure his fellow Republicans into helping pass bills on those topics.

"It's time for the Governor to stop sending letters and holding press conferences and start getting votes from legislators of his own party so that our state can move forward on these critical issues," Bass (D-Los Angeles) said in the statement.

The lack of progress increases the chances that neither legislative Democrats or Republicans - or Schwarzenegger -- will be able to attend their respective parties' conventions this week and next.

Some Democratic legislators briefly attended the early portions of the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Monday, but there are floor sessions scheduled during the rest of the week.

Schwarzenegger, who is scheduled to speak at the Republican convention next week in St. Paul, Minn., has also said he won't go if there's no state budget.