Veto Threat for Water Solution | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Fresno, CA Action News has a look at the bills that could be ignored, and why one top Lawmaker thinks the Governor may be fluffing.

This is usually bill signing season when the Governor reviews hundreds of bills the Legislature sent him the month before. But, so far, he has only signed three of the more than 700 on his desk.

Aaron McLear, Governor's Press Secretary said: "The reason that that's happening this way is because we're focused on trying to come to a close on water."

An agreement on how to solve the state's water problems has been elusive not only under the Schwarzenegger Administration, but every Governor for at least two decades.

This year is especially urgent because California is in the middle of a 3-year drought where many farmers can't even plant crops.

The Governor and Republicans want nothing else but a water plan.

Assm. Sam Blakeslee, (R) Minority Leader said: "There are few issues more important than water, so there's a rationale for saying the legislature should work first and foremost on the top issues of the day."

With only five days left before the signing deadline, the Governor is poised to just outright veto all the bills unless a water solution is on his desk.

That means bills like: starting a registry of who buys bullets, preventing most employers from running credit checks on new hires , and forcing counties to make sure there's enough fire protection before approving new subdivisions, would have be rejected.

Assm. Dave Jones, (D) Sacramento said: "To be held hostage because the legislature is unable or unwilling to do 100% of what the governor wants on an unrelated issue."

The Governor did meet with leaders today, and while progress is being made on water talks, speaker bass doesn't believe Schwarzenegger will follow through on his veto threat.

Assm. Speaker Karen Bass, (D) Los Angeles said: "a mass vetoing of bills is never an appropriate use of his veto power and I'm sure he's not going to do that."