Progress Report on the State Budget

In case you are wondering where things are concerning the state budget, the Sacramento Bee reports that, “…famed primatologist Jane Goodall paid a visit to the Senate floor during a short floor session Thursday, greeting lawmakers with the call of a wild chimpanzee…”

Full report at: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/03/herbie-hancock-jane-goodall-wo.html#ixzz1FjzoJO6q

No invitation has been extended yet to Goodall from the Academic Senate so the audio - enhanced from the Bee website - is below:



More seriously, there are rumors about deals being cut with selected Republicans to obtain the 2/3 vote necessary to put the governor's proposed tax extensions on the ballot. Exactly what quid pro quo might be needed to obtain the votes is not clear. Indeed, it is not clear that there will be a deal. State Controller Chiang made reference this past week to possible resumption of state IOUs by summer if no deal is reached. His statement was probably an effort to move the negotiations along. The governor has also collected endorsements from various business groups for his budget plan, including the tax extensions, which may ease the way for some Republican votes. See http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/05/BALQ1I4G2C.DTL The clock is running on the time needed to have a vote by June, but in the past, supposed deadlines have proved to be flexible.