UPDATE 4: Added video of Speaker Bass on the stopgap.

UPDATE 3:The Senate has adjourned for the evening, with Sen. Steinberg requesting the “comity shown in the Assembly.”

UPDATE 2: SB 64 has failed due to the 2/3 rule, it will be reconsidered later.

UPDATE: Hollingsworth says he isn’t interested in anything less than a full solution. Senate is in debate now. You can watch the Senate session live here.

In a rather convincing bi-partisan manner, the Senate budget cut measures that failed to garner 2/3 support in the Senate have now been approved by the Assembly overwhelmingly.  The package is a mixture of cuts and payment deferrals that would keep delay the issuance of IOUs until at least August.

Once again, Twitter is the best source of news. From John Myers’ feed:

Bill #3 appears headed to passage, which means it’s now up to the Senate to possibly challenge Guv to veto the $5 bil in temporary cash.

31 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

Asm GOP leader Blakeslee: “I am heartened that Repubs and Dems are working together.” Calls the stopgap measures a “first step.”

33 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

Assmbly has reconvened to vote on bill #3 of the “stopgap pkg” (three of the deficit relief bills that would avoid IOUs next month).

37 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

To add some more context, the Governor has been saying that he would veto any measure that bought additional time.  However, it appears that the Assembly GOP, with the approval of these three measures to avoid July IOUs, has decided that they don’t feel the same way.  If the Senate GOP gets on board with the Assembly GOP, we might see a showdown between the branches of government and the possibility of the first legislative override in over 25 years.

However, it is far from clear that the Senate GOP will get on board with Sam Blakeslee’s delaying tactic.  In the last round, they rejected cuts as insufficient to address the entirety of the problem.  However, with their Assembly colleagues on board, will they change their stance? Well, there will be one voice in the room to block the IOUs, Abel Maldonado.  From the Great Maldo’s twitter feed:

IOUs to the people of california are not an option

about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Caucus just ended, I still believe we are close to a whole solution.. More to come.

about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Need more than just cuts. People demand refrom. Solution should be combo: north of $13 billion cuts and real reform.

12:33 PM Jun 24th from TwitterBerry

Honestly, I have no idea of what kind of game Maldonado is running at this point. Is he in the Senate GOP Caucus advocating for outright tax increases? Doubtful. But, according to a tweet from Myers yesterday, Maldo is thinking of offering his own solution.  What “real reform” means? Again, this is Maldo speaking, so it’s anybody’s guess.

We should hear something about the Senate votes today.

UPDATE by Dave: It does not look like Zed Hollingsworth and the Senate will go along with this.  So we’re not getting anywhere with this maneuver.