The Assembly has gone into a deep cocoon, only occasionally popping up to finish a vote that has been placed on hold.  The most recent one was SB12, which set cuts for general government.  That’s not necessarily in the land of controversial votes – the local government raids, the offshore drilling proposal and the return payment of Prop. 98 maintenance of effort funds in future years are the major stumbling blocks.  But SB12 couldn’t get the 54 votes needed for passage, stalling out at 51.  Now, it’s possible that this was just a delay tactic while negotiations and arm-twisting continue over the other issues.  But the longer this plays out, the more opportunity for a collapse.

The Senate is in adjournment.  They are gone until August.  They jammed the Assembly and now the Assembly has to find a way out of the mess.  If you’ve resigned yourself to the fact that this is over, well, I think we might have a long way to go.  Remember that the Assembly has one less person in it now than it did in February – Curren Price moved up to the Senate.  That means additional votes are needed, most likely from Republicans, for these measures.

I would be slightly surprised if these remaining measures didn’t pass.  But the going is very slow, and there’s still time to weigh in and whip your Assemblymembers, particularly on the contentious issues.

…both parties have gone into caucus.  What does newly independent Juan Arambula do at this point?

This is FAR from over.

…so the Assembly has come back into session.  Karen Bass says “we have been in session for 24 hours and we are ready to finish.”  We’ll see if the lawmakers agre…

…They just moved the HUTA taking (that’s the local gas tax bill) to the inactive file.  I think this means that the securitization of redevelopment funds must pass or there’s really no bill.

…They’re about to vote on Prop. 1A borrowing of local government funds.  There are technical problems so viewers at home can’t see the vote… OK, 57-12, measure passes.  Prop. 1A taking is complete.

…We’re up to AB14, the bill that accomplishes the suspension.  It’s a recapitulation of the 1A suspension…. and it runs aground, three votes shy of passage.  Local government safe for the moment, though things can change on a dime.

…one vote left for passage on this, remaining members getting lobbied furiously… Asm. Salas is the only holdout.

They put that one on call, and move to AB26, the redevelopment agency scheme.  This should be very interesting.  Still 5 bills away from full passage.

…I guess redevelopment only needed a majority vote, so they managed to get enough.  Measure passed 41-23.  I can’t believe they’re really going ahead with that scam.  The lobbyists in the City of Industry will party tonight!

…they lifted the call on SB12, the general government cuts, and there are 26 no votes, 1 too many, so they’ll have to flip somebody.

…if I hear “all those vote who desire to vote” one more time…

…Dave Jones caved, they got it through with another flip, 54-24.  General govt. cuts done.

…AB3 lifted, not sure what this one is about.  Came up a few votes short… AB3 is the education bill, with the Prop. 98 payback.  Still not getting through.

…they just got the Prop. 1A local government raid bill through, 54-25.

Trying again on Ab3… they got it through, 55-19.  It looks like education is done, too.  I think drilling may be all that’s left.

…AB23, the final bill, the offshore drilling bill, is on the floor now.  Chuck DeVore is grandstanding talking about it.

…Pedro Nava reminds lawmakers of the Jan. 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.  They need to know what they might be doing.

…Wes Chesbro, who represents one-third of the California coastline, urges a no vote.

…Bill Monning speaking against the bill.

…I’ll wrap up after we’re done, but ditching the HUTA gas tax raid blows about a $750M hole in the budget, and if drilling goes down, $100M more.  The Governor has a blue pencil, of course, so he can make the cuts needed by himself to compensate.

…Noreen Evans, a member of the leadership and chair of the Budget committee, is voting no.  I don’t know if this passes, it’ll be close.

…Curt Hagman (Yacht Party) pleads to “think outside the box” …

…Juan Arambula, ex-Democrat, expresses his support for the bill.  Says he enjoys the beaches!  And that surfboards are made out of petroleum, so we have to drill offshore (?????)

…Julia Brownley quotes President Richard Nixon on the 1969 SB oil spill.  Looks like a lot of people will get their say.

…Ted Gaines thinks we “won’t have to worry about foreign oil” if we approve this lease.  Because one platform can supply the oil for 38 million people.

…apparently, if other states have no income tax, they can have an oil severance tax, but if you have one, then you can’t have oil severance tax.  I didn’t know that construction.

… Mike Villines, former Assembly leader, is now up.  “I know we want green jobs, but I hope we are open to all jobs.”  Hurt me.

…vote coming up in a sec…

…28-43, drilling FAILS.  So about $850million short in the budget.  Will the Governor clean it up himself?