A California assemblyman has split from the Democratic Party as both houses of the Legislature head toward a contentious vote this week on a plan to bridge the state's $24 billion budget gap.

Juan Arambula confirmed today that he has re-registered as an independent.

Formerly a moderate within the Democratic caucus, Arambula is scheduled to be termed out next year from his Central Valley district, which encompasses portions of Fresno and Tulare counties.

It is not immediately clear how Arambula's decision will affect the coming budget vote, which includes more than a dozen bills that will require a two-thirds majority in both houses to take effect immediately.

Arambula said his decision to become a decline-to-state voter, or independent, had been brewing for quite a while.

"I think I owe it to my constituents to be an independent voice," he said. "My hope is that by becoming an independent that the concerns and the interests of my region will be heard."

Arambula expressed reservations about the Democrats' budget-balancing package, including proposed tax increases on tobacco and oil severance. But he did not say specifically that he planned to vote no.

"I have, in the past, voted for taxes, and I think there is a time and place to do so," he said. "The reality is that we are unlikely to get a two-thirds (vote) to raise taxes, so whether I might support them in limited situations or not is an academic issue...I could vote for additional revenues if we had had done everything we can to reduce the costs." Asked specifically if he felt the state had done so, Arambula said only that "I have a number of concerns on the budget."

Republicans were quick to applaud Arambula.

"I'm not a Republican," Arambula said. "I don't intend to be a Republican. I want to feel free to disagree regardless what party is involved."

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, in a written statement, said that Arambula has "been a thoughtful part of the leadership in the Democratic Caucus, so it's unfortunate he has decided to re-register. Juan has important perspectives to offer, and I hope he will continue offering them to his colleagues as part of our caucus."

"As to questions about what this may mean for the budget, the people in Assemblymember Arambula's district -- as in all our districts -- need good schools and a safety net for the most vulnerable, and the Democratic Caucus will continue fighting for those causes."

Two weeks ago, Bass named Arambula to head the Assembly Public Safety Committee in a shuffle necessitated by the departure of former Assemblyman Curren Price for the Senate.

Bass removed Arambula from the Assembly Budget Committee and a budget subcommittee on state administration upon his being named chairman of the public safety panel.

Arambula has a reputation for speaking his mind and not necessarily voting in lockstep with the Democratic caucus.

Three years ago, then-Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez ordered Arambula to move into the Assembly's "doghouse," a shoe-box sized Capitol office often reserved for lawmakers in disfavor with their party's leader.

Arambula was relegated to the tiny, fifth-floor office of 807 square feet after refusing to fall in line with Democratic leadership on a record $37.3 billion bond package.

Arambula also was stripped at the time of his chairmanship of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.

Weeks later, Núñez relented, reinstating Arambula as committee chairman and offering his old office accommodations back.

Arambula is a former member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and the Fresno Unified School Board.

The son of immigrant farm workers, Arambula possesses a master's degree in educational administration and policy analysis from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of California, according to the biography posted on his Web site.

He lives in Fresno with his wife, Amy. The couple has four adult children.

Call The Bee's Jim Sanders, (916) 326-5538.