Arnold Schwarzenegger expected to veto state budget
The move by the governor would be unprecedented, but officials say an override is likely.
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to announce this afternoon that he will veto the state budget passed by the Legislature early this morning, setting the stage for an unprecedented confrontation in California's Capitol, said people familiar with the situation.
Schwarzenegger has called a news conference for 3 p.m. He had warned lawmakers in a letter last night that he would veto their spending plan -- 78 days late today -- if it did not include three provisions to ensure the state a reliable rainy day fund for times of fiscal trouble. This year, California has developed a $15.2-billion budget gap.
The Legislature agreed to two of his three requests.
A budget veto would be a first for California, but legislative leaders in both parties said early this morning that it is likely the Legislature would override it. The last bill override was in 1979, when Jerry Brown was governor (the bills concerned state employees and insurance).
Schwarzenegger has vetoed hundreds of bills since being elected in 2003, but none have been overridden.
An override requires a two-thirds majority in the Assembly and the state Senate, the same margin required for the budget that passed this morning.
Jordan.rau@latimes.com
