Today's final rundown/script

CTNS SCRIPTS

CAPITOL TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO, CA

(916) 446-7890

Thursday, May 8, 2008

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1. DENHAM RECALL FALLOUT..............................VO/SOT

2. AUTO MAKERS PLAY "CHICKEN" AT GOV'S OFFICE....................VO/SOT

3. REPUBLICANS MAKE EVERY DOLLAR COUNT...........VO/SOT

4. HIGHWAY PATROL MEMORIAL.........................VO/SOT

5. GERALDO RIVERA AT CAPITOL........................VO/SOT

6. LEGISLATOR SALARIES.............................................VO

1. DENHAM RECALL FALLOUT VO/SOT

LIVE: REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR JEFF DENHAM SAYS HE'S RESENTFUL HE HAS HAD TO FIGHT A RECALL EFFORT AGAINST HIM THAT STARTED AS A PUNISHMENT FOR VOTING AGAINST PASSING LAST YEAR'S STATE BUDGET. LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WAS SIGNED INTO LAW DESPITE DENHAM'S NO VOTE, AND THE STATE IS NOW FACING A BUDGET DEFICIT ESTIMATED TO BE AS MUCH AS 20 BILLION DOLLARS.

SUPER: TODAY/STATE CAPITOL

VO: (:30) AFTER MONTHS OF DENYING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DENHAM RECALL EFFORT, LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE DON PERATA ANNOUNCED HE WAS PULLING HIS SUPPORT FOR THE RECALL. PERATA CLAIMS CONTINUING TO SUPPORT DENHAM'S RECALL WOULD HINDER EFFORTS TO NEGOTIATE A BUDGET WITH REPUBLICANS THIS YEAR. BECAUSE THE STATE BUDGET REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY FOR PASSAGE, TWO SENATE REPUBLICANS MUST SUPPORT THE BUDGET FOR IT TO PASS. LAST WEEK, PERATA ADMITTED HE HOPED THAT REPLACING DENHAM WITH A DEMOCRATIC SENATOR WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO PASS A BUDGET AND INCREASE STATE TAXES, WHICH ALSO REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS VOTE. THIS MORNING, DENHAM SAYS HE RESENTS HAVING HIS POLITICAL CAREER THREATENED FOR OPPOSING A BUDGET THAT HAS PROVED TO BE OUT OF BALANCE.

SUPER: SENATOR JEFF DENHAM/R-MERCED

SOT: (:24)

SAYS: "ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING TO SEE THAT THIS RECALL CONTINUED ON. UH, YOU KNOW THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT WENT BY ALL OF LAST FALL AND WINTER THAT I DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS GOING AWAY. BUT HE PUSHED FORWARD, YOU KNOW, HE PUSHED FORWARD AND I'VE GOT TO PUSH FORWARD EVEN NOW IN THIS CAMPAIGN. THE BUDGET ITSELF LAST YEAR, I'M PROUD OF MY VOTE, YOU KNOW, I STOOD STRONG TO A LOT OF PRESSURE, AND I THINK THAT 'S WHAT I'M ELECTED TO DO."

SUPER: RON NEHRING/CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN

SOT: (:32)

SAYS: "IT WAS WIDELY SEEN AS THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO GET A TWO THIRDS VOTE IN ORDER TO TRY TO RAISE TAXES. CERTAINLY THE JUSTIFICATIONS THAT WERE USED TO LAUNCH THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE WERE FLIMSY AT BEST AND I THINK THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF SACRAMENTO GET TIRED OF THESE INSIDE THE CAPITAL GAINS, GAMES, THAT ARE SEEN AS SUCH A DISTRACTION FROM GETTING THE WORK DONE. WE'VE GOT A SERIOUS BUDGET DEFICIT, WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST TAXED STATES IN THE WEST, WE'RE LOSING JOBS AS A RESULT OF THAT, AND FOLKS OUTSIDE OF SACRAMENTO, WHERE I LIVE, WANT THE PEOPLE INSIDE OF THIS BUILDING TO GET TO WORK AND STOP PLAYING THE POLITICAL GAMES."

SUPER: THURSDAY/STATE CAPITOL

VO TAG: THE DEADLINE FOR BALLOT CHANGES HAS PASSED, SO THE RECALL MEASURE WILL STILL BE ON THE JUNE BALLOT IN DENHAM'S CENTRAL VALLEY DISTRICT, REGARDLESS OF PERATA'S ANNOUNCED WITHDRAWAL OF SUPPORT. YESTERDAY, PERATA WALKED AWAY FROM QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER HE WOULD STOP RUNNING ADS SUPPORTING THE RECALL IN DENHAM'S DISTRICT.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The budget deficit for the coming fiscal year is projected to be between 10 and 20 billion dollars. The state is likely to run out of cash by August if a budget plan is not adopted by then, because the state's cash reserves have been spent, and because the state' poor credit rating makes even short term borrowing prohibitively expensive.

EXTRA BITES:

Perata benefits politically from either appearing to be dropping the Recall in favor of making progress on the budget, or from a successful Denham recall effort. The next bite is on speculation Perata pulled support for the Recall too late for it to be taken off the ballot: