Deadline

Reporting from Sacramento -- Democratic lawmakers sued state Controller John Chiang on Tuesday, arguing that he misused his power last summer when he docked their pay for passing a budget he said was not balanced. The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, does not seek reimbursement of the $583,200 in withheld pay. Lawmakers want the court to bar the controller from doing it again if they approve a budget that they deem balanced. Chiang, a Democrat, said he was exercising authority given to him by voters when they approved Proposition 25, a constitutional amendment, in 2010.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is asking for a second extension on the deadline for divesting himself of millions of dollars in investments that could pose a potential conflict of interest, the Pentagon said. Rumsfeld submitted a request for another 90-day extension to the Office of Government Ethics and the Senate Armed Services Committee because divesting himself is proving "much more difficult" than he planned, his spokesman said.

The deadline for the sale and merger of the Houston Gamblers with the New Jersey Generals has come and gone without the deal being closed, says Gamblers' co-owner Jay Roulier. Roulier says the United States Football League team is looking for a new buyer and may end up returning to Houston. The Gamblers announced last summer an agreement to sell the team to Generals' owner Donald Trump and New York real estate developer Steven Ross.

Instead of paying our legislators (including the governor) $100/day while they are past the budget deadline, how about taking away $100/day for every day they go past June 30 without a budget in place? If I don't meet my deadlines I get penalized--not paid more! ANN JORDAN Diamond Bar