Free Republic

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a $131.4 billion budget Friday - the first on-time state spending plan in six years - after vetoing $112 million for programs ranging from court translators to air pollution control. "It's a great day to celebrate. It's a big day for California," Schwarzenegger said at a signing ceremony that included legislative leaders of both parties. The former Hollywood star took the unusual step of holding the ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, where tourists looked on from the wings and a second-floor gallery, about 12 hours before the start of a new fiscal year. Lawmakers approved the...