Results tagged “legislature”

The state legislature early this morning finally passed a big water package that will bring an $11.1 billion bond to voters next year. In part, "it sets aside $3 billion for new storage and $2 billion for ecosystem restoration in the delta," explains the LA Times. "It would fund recycling and groundwater cleanup important to Southern California, pay for Salton Sea restoration and watershed projects on the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers. There is money for drought relief, Lake Tahoe, a dam removal project on the Klamath River in Northern California and Sierra foothill communities." The bond has split environmental groups. Some, like the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Fund, like it. Others, such as the Sierra Club, do not.

That's the lowest approval rating of the Legislature from registered voters in the Field Poll's 26-year history. And that's not the only record broken. He may eat adorable breakfasts, but that's not going to save Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 27 percent rating, the lowest since he entered office (and a number only found back in 1961 with Pat Brown). But still, he isn't the governor with the worst approval rating, that goes to Gray Davis (22%) before he was ousted from office in a recall election that Schwarzenegger won.

As the legislature wrapped up last week, a slew of bills were voted down and voted through to the Governor's desk, many of them dealing with the environment from issues like state parks to air quality and other issues.

Come June 15th--that's just 13 days from now--the state of California could be a path to having no money, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the legislature yesterday. Tough choices lie ahead, such as those we've been hearing about since last week like the cutting of most all state parks and all of welfare. He's urging lawmakers to pass those budget proposals within the next two weeks, a short time to solve a $24 billion deficit.

$11.2 billion or $28 billion? Neither are good numbers when it comes to California's deficit, but that's the reality--our current budget shortfall is projected to be $11.2 billion and that could reach $28 billion in the next 18 months.

It only took 77 days into the new fiscal year for California lawmakers to make a deal and pass the state's budget but when all was said and done, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to veto it. They debated early into the morning but made a plan that reportedly would solve the state's $15.2 billion deficit and would produce a $104.3 billion general fund that the Sacramento Bee says would bring "short-term relief but likely lead to shortfalls in future years."

Not only are there Props 7 and 10, which are environmentally intentioned with heavy opposition from businesses and eco-groups alike, there is also a possible prop being pushed around by Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein. It would be a $9.3 billion water bond, mainly for water surface storage.