Today's final rundown/script

CTNS SCRIPTS

CAPITOL TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO, CA

(916) 446-7890

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST, 2008

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1. NO BUDGET-DAY 52 VO/SOT

2. PARRA BOOT `DESPOTIC' VO/SOT

3. LAND USE POWER GRAB VOTE VO/SOT

1. NO BUDGET-DAY 52 VO/SOT

LIVE:

THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY TODAY LAUGHED OUT LOUD WHEN ASKED IF LAWMAKERS WOULD COMPLETE A BUDGET DEAL BY THIS WEEKEND. THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINE FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS A STATE BUDGET WAS JUNE 15TH. THE STATE'S FISCAL YEAR STARTED JULY 1ST, SO THE BUDGET IS NOW 52 DAYS LATE, AND IS TIED FOR THE FOURTH LONGEST BUDGET DELAY IN STATE HISTORY.

SUPER: TODAY/STATE CAPITOL

VO: (:30)

THE BUDGET IMPASSE HAS BEEN CAUSED BY REPUBLICANS REFUSING TO APPROVE ANY TAX INCREASES TO CLOSE THE STATE'S 15 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS SAY THEY WON'T CUT SPENDING, AND THEIR CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL WOULD INCREASE STATE SPENDING BY ABOUT THREE BILLION DOLLARS OVER LAST YEAR. A BUDGET COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE PARTIES COULD INCLUDE SOME FORM OF TAX INCREASE IN RETURN FOR A PERMANENT CAP ON YEARLY SPENDING INCREASES, A WATER BOND THAT INCLUDES NEW DAMS, OR BORROWING AGAINST FUTURE LOTTERY SALES. BUT ANY THOSE WOULD REQUIRE A POPULAR VOTE, AND AFTER THIS WEEKEND, IT IS UNLIKELY THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD CHANGE THE NOVEMBER BALLOT IN TIME TO ADD ADDITIONAL BALLOT MEASURES. DESPITE THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINES, THERE ARE NO PENALTIES AGAINST LAWMAKERS FOR FAILING TO PASS A BUDGET. THEIR PAYCHECKS ARE STOPPED AT THE START OF EACH FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT A BUDGET DONE, BUT THEY RECEIVE ALL BACK PAY ONCE THE BUDGET IS SIGNED. AND BECAUSE LAWMAKERS MEET MORE OFTEN DURING BUDGET DELAYS, THEIR TOTAL PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR ATTENDING LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS WILL INCREASE THE LONGER A BUDGET IS LATE.

SUPER: SENATOR TOM MCCLINTOCK/R-THOUSAND OAKS

SOT: (:30)

SAYS: "A GENERATION AGO, WHEN WE WERE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS, EACH HOUSE WAS IN SESSION DAY IN AND DAY OUT UNTIL THEY HAD DEVELOPED THEIR HOUSE'S VERSION OF THE BUDGET AND OBTAINED A TWO-THIRDS VOTE. THEN IT WENT TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AND THE ONLY THING THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE DETERMINED WAS TO, TO RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES. AGAIN WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS OF DELIBERATION HAS COLLAPSED UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP."

SUPER: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER KAREN BASS / D- LOS ANGELES

SOT: (:10)

REPORTER: "AS FAR AS MAKING THE BALLOT DEADLINE, SATURDAY SEEMS TO BE IT?"

SAYS: (LAUGHS) "I JUST HAVE TO TELL YOU IT SEEMS TO BE SUCH A SHIFTING DATE. WE HELD A VOTE ON THE BUDGET ON THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR LAST SUNDAY BECAUSE MONDAY WAS THE DEADLINE. NOW WE'RE HEARING SATURDAY IS THE DEADLINE.''

VO TAG:

WHILE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER KAREN BASS LAUGHS ABOUT THE DEADLINES, THOUSANDS OF VENDORS WHO CONTRACT WITH THE STATE FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE NOT BEING PAID BECAUSE THE STATE CONTROLLER IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO PAY THEIR BILLS UNTIL A BUDGET IS SIGNED.

EDITOR'S NOTE: INSTEAD OF DEBATING THE BUDGET WITHIN EACH LEGISLATIVE HOUSE AS SENATOR MCCLINTOCK REFERS TO, THE MAJORITY PARTY (DEMOCRATS) NOW PASS VERSIONS OF THEIR OWN PARTY'S BUDGET PROPOSALS TO WHAT'S CALLED THE BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. THAT COMMITTEE THEN RESOLVES DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SENATE DEMOCRATIC BUDGET AND THE ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC BUDGET. THE SO-CALLED BIG FIVE (THE GOVERNOR, AND THE PARTY LEADERS FROM THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY) THEN NEGOTIATE A BUDGET DEAL. PASSING THE BUDGET REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS VOTE IN EACH HOUSE, MEANING TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND AT LEAST SEVEN REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY MEMBERS' VOTES ARE NEEDED. IT'S BELIEVED THE GOVERNOR'S CURRENT STRATEGY IS TO CONVINCE TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS' BUDGET PROPOSAL, PRESSURING THE ASSEMBLY TO FOLLOW SUIT. SO FAR, THAT STRATEGY IS NOT WORKING.

EXTRA BITES:

SUPER: SENATOR TOM MCCLINTOCK/R-THOUSAND OAKS

SOT: (:15)

SAYS: "EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN HAS A SOLEMN COMPACT WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS NOT TO RAISE TAXES. WERE THAT TO HAPPEN IT MEANS THAT TWO SENATORS BROKE A WRITTEN CONTRACT WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS, AND I THINK THAT WOULD FOLLOW THEM AROUND FOR THE REST OF THEIR VERY BRIEF POLITICAL CAREERS."

ON THE SO-CALLED COMPROMISE BUDGET PROPOSED YESTERDAY BY THE GOVERNOR. THAT COMPROMISE INCLUDED A ONE-CENT STATEWIDE SALES TAX INCREASE:

SUPER: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER KAREN BASS / D- LOS ANGELES

SOT: (:14)

SAYS: "I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE GOVERNOR COME FORWARD WITH THE EXAMPLE OF REVENUE THAT HE SUPPORTS. WE HAVE COMPROMISED TREMENDOUSLY AS DEMOCRATS - ALL OF THE CUTS THAT WE HAVE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.''

SUPER: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER KAREN BASS / D- LOS ANGELES

SOT: (:10)

SAYS: ``I WISH HE WOULD HAVE COME FORWARD WITH THAT BUDGET A LOT EARLIER, BUT I GUESS WE'RE CALLING THIS THE AUGUST REVISE, SO NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE. "