[Timeout]

Clarify something for me please.

I thought Cal’s budget began on July 1st. Why all these shenanigans now?

Are they still wrangling over the 08/09 budget?

[tubebender]

I believe it's the 09/10 budget but it has been going on long enough that you could be right...

[calcowgirl]

I thought Cal’s budget began on July 1st. Why all these shenanigans now? Are they still wrangling over the 08/09 budget?

When it became evident that the 08/09 budget was out of balance, they started this charade to renegotiate it under the "fiscal emergency" umbrella to be dealt with in Special Session. Then they decided to put it together with next year's budget and move all the discussions behind closed doors. In essence, they are negotiating 2 years of budgets, or 18 months since this year is already half over. Their terms are "2008-2009 Special Session Budget Adjustment" and "2009-2010 State Budget Act."

They have said when this is all over, they will still revisit it in May (when the normal process for 09/10 would have gotten started.)

[NathanR]

Are they still wrangling over the 08/09 budget?

Yes.

They have been wrangling over this since June of last year. Why now, you ask? We are now actually running out of cash to make payroll.