California is still without a budget, and the battle will not end until Wednesday at the earliest. The State Senate recessed Saturday with Republicans refusing to budge.
California requires a 2/3 vote in each house of its legislature to pass the budget. While Democrats have a sizable majority, they must get some Republican votes in each house. The Assembly approved the budget with a few Republicans crossing over. However, the State Senate has not.
To date, legislative aides and state contractors have felt the biggest sting from the battle in Sacramento. However, it will likely start impacting more as the days go on. A good source for the Republican viewpoint is the Flash Report Blog.
State Senator Bob Dutton (R-San Bernardino) told the Flash Report Blog, “This budget must have a zero-deficit.” Given that the budget has a $5 Billion operational deficit, it looks like when I head on vacation next Saturday there won’t be a budget.