Nearly three weeks after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would block any bill that reached his desk until the Legislature approves a budget, he sent a letter late Monday to legislative leaders saying he will make exceptions for a high-speed rail clean-up measure and a water bond.
Schwarzenegger indicated that in at least those cases, he is willing to renege on his Aug. 6 vow that "some good bills will fail."
The Assembly sent the governor a bill Tuesday that revises the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond measure on the November ballot. The governor signed the bill later in the day.
In the letter, Schwarzenegger asked leaders to send him four proposals immediately so they can be placed on the November ballot.
Besides high-speed rail, they include a water bond, a plan to expand the California Lottery, and a budget reform plan to strengthen the state's rainy-day fund. The latter two proposals are part of budget negotiations still unresolved 58 days into the fiscal year.
"The governor believes Californians ought have the opportunity to vote on these four measures on the November ballot despite the fact that the Legislature is two months past their deadline in passing a budget," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said.
Nobody knows for certain when the deadline is for placing new measures on the November ballot. McLear last week said his office believed it was this past Sunday, but Secretary of State Debra Bowen says only that the Legislature can change election laws and decide for itself when the absolute deadline is.
If lawmakers do not place the proposals on the November ballot, they would likely consider a special election after November or the regularly scheduled June 2010 election.
Counties are scheduled to start mailing ballots to overseas voters, including soldiers, on Sept. 5.
Schwarzenegger made a big splash early this month when he denounced lawmakers for passing legislation without a budget in place. He suggested they should focus on the budget alone, and he said he would not sign any bills until a spending plan was approved. He also said he would veto any bill before it had a chance of becoming law without his signature.
"The governor remains committed that he is not going to sign any bills until we have a budget," McLear said. "However, these four measures need to get on the November ballot."
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass replied that the governor ought to spend more time persuading members of his own party to back a budget plan.
"It's time for the governor to stop sending letters and holding press conferences," the Los Angeles Democrat said in a statement, "and start getting votes from legislators of his own party so that our state can move forward on these critical issues."
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