January 16, 2008

Taking the budget on the road?

Republican Assembly leader Mike Villines says lawmakers and the governor may take the budget show on the road.

"Maybe we need to start making sure people understand we're still moving California forward. We're still building in California," Villines said Tuesday after he and other legislative leaders met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss the state's budget crisis.

"We want to do some public events to make sure people see we're working together and that we're building things," said the Clovis Republican.

Tuesday's first Big 5 budget meeting of the season began with calls for bipartisan cooperation to find government savings. Democratic leaders Don Perata and Fabian Núñez stayed behind in the governor's office to discuss the health care proposal.

"Everybody's got their positions but there are some actions you need to take right now if you want to have any benefit this year or next year," said Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman.

Ackerman said he hasn't made any decisions on the governor's proposed constitutional overhaul of the budget process, including the possibility of ending a two-thirds vote requirement to make mid-year spending changes.

Villines was quick to protect his minority party's authority: "I don't like getting rid of the two-thirds vote," he said. "Dick is being open-minded, but we don't like it."

Posted by Judy Lin on January 16, 2008 12:25 PM