GOP budget proposal defeated on party-line vote

SACRAMENTO - A Republican state budget proposal died on a party-line vote Monday, with one Democratic legislative leader saying he's puzzled as to what a Democratic budget will have to include for at least two Republicans to vote for it.

The Republican proposal introduced by Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) was defeated in a 13-21 vote, with six state senators absent.

Before the vote, several Democratic state senators took issue with the proposal, saying it included too many draconian cuts and too few ways to increase state revenue and solve a budget deficit of $17 billion.

The last Democratic state senator to speak, Senate Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), said he's confused because he doesn't know what two Republican state senators need in order to approve what Democrats have previously proposed and had rejected.

Because the budget must pass on a two-thirds majority vote, at least two Republican state senators would have to join Democratic legislators in approval.

"If you don't want to say it publicly, come to my office," Perata said. "Or meet me in a bar. A dark bar. Or tell the governor and he can tell me. I'm done guessing."

Cogdill, speaking after Perata, said while he's not aware of what's been requested in private, he's confident that his party's caucus isn't budging on the main point of contention with Democrats: Any budget proposal that includes new taxes is dead on arrival.

"I don't know how much more clear we can be," he said. "As a caucus, we continue to be united around this fact."

State senators on both sides agreed that with proposals from both parties now put to a vote, it's possible that negotiations will take on a more serious tone.

The budget has already set a state record for delinquency; almost 70 days have passed since the deadline for a state budget to be enacted.