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Water Deal or Governor Vetoes

Water Deal or Governor Vetoes
Sunday, October 11, is the deadline for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign or veto more than 700 bills currently sitting on his desk. These measures were approved by the Legislature during the final days of the legislative session. According to California law, the Governor has 30 days to sign or veto legislative bills before they become law. However, whatever bills that Governor Schwarzenegger does not sign or veto before the deadline will automatically go into effect on January 1, 2010.
There is increasing belief that the governor is using a subtle threat to veto bills as leverage to force the Legislature to address California’s dire water situation. In previous writings, we noted that the Legislature expressed commitment to addressing California’s water crisis. Yet the Legislature adjourned without an approved water plan, and legislative leaders appear to have lost momentum in their pledge to accomplish a water deal. Their failure to act has frustrated the governor, contributing to his reluctance to approve legislative measures that do not deal with more pressing state matters, including water management.
A recent Capitol Weekly article discusses the evolution of Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto threat and his request that the Senate and Assembly withdraw bills passed by their legislative bodies and submitted to the governor, in order to prevent a veto. 
Governor Schwarzenegger has repeatedly chastised the Legislature over issues, including their failure to address the budget deficit, funding for fire suppression, pension reform and his global warming initiatives, and it is evident that the governor is frustrated by the Legislature’s failure to address California’s most important issues. Whether legislators can overcome their differences and find agreement on water remains to be seen.
Recognizing the importance of finding a water solution, Governor Schwarzenegger has convened a “Big 5” meeting this week to continue water negotiations and discuss the potential fate of hundreds of bills. The Big 5 meeting participants include Governor Schwarzenegger and the Senate and Assembly Republican and Democrat leaders. The governor hopes that these meetings will result in a resolution or plan by Friday that will enable a water measure to be approved by the Legislature before January, and allow him to act on the hundreds of legislative bills on his desk.
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