California underwent a record-breaking 85-day impasse without an approved budget. The battle over the $15.2 billion deficit led to reassessment of many bills requiring appropriations; the final budget had $7.1 billion in spending cuts, with the remainder to be made up via various accounting methods. Because of the delay, many bills - over 35% - were vetoed.

"The historic delay in passing the 2008-2009 state budget has forced me to prioritize the bills sent to my desk at the end of the year's legislative session," said the veto message sent by the governor with most of the rejected bills. "Given the delay, I am only signing bills that are the highest priority for California."

Bills that were vetoed in the last week of September included several that CCST has been tracking during the past legislative session. Below are some of the more significant S&T related bills vetoed during this past week.

State Contracting

AB 3033 (Laird), which would have required that the University of California and Department of General Services (DGS) establish standard contract provisions for research, training, and service contracts between UC and the state. The bill followed on the Federal Laboratory Contracting Act of 2006 (Speier), which was a direct response to a CCST recommendation. The veto message referenced the budget per above.

Climate Change

SB 1760 (Perata) would have established the Climate Action Team (CAT) in statute. The veto message stated that "The CAT... has successfully coordinated the climate change activities of state agencies for three years... As we move forward, they will continue to play a greater role in the implementation of AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. That should be their main focus and to the extent that coordinating research falls within their responsibility, they should do so. But, placing this responsibility exclusively within CAT's jurisdiction is not appropriate at this time."

SB 1762 (Perata) This bill would have created the California Climate Change Institute (CCCI) at the University of California. The veto message stated that " this bill is too limiting and is too premature to be signed... First, the bill places the institute entirely within the UC system. Doing so does not recognize the role that the other segments of California's higher education system can provide... Additionally, this bill is premature because the Air Resources Board (ARB) is still developing the Scoping Plan required by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Finally, the bill prohibits ratepayer-funded climate change research in other state agencies. This is ill-advised as it may deprive the state from being able to receive federal funding for projects that must be administered by particular state agencies."

Economic Development

AB 3045 (Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy) - Economic Development. This bill would have designated the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency as the primary state agency responsible for economic development in California, taking over a function formerly assumed by the Technology, Trade, and Commerce Agency. In addition, AB 3045 (as amended 8/21/08) added CCST to the list of economic development related entities to be consulted by BTH.

AB 1916 (Portantino) California Economic Strategy Panel. This bill amended the California Economic Strategy Panel, whose original intent was to develop an overall economic development vision and strategy for the state, and require a biennial strategic plan for California. It increased the panel membership from 15 to 19 by including the state's Small Business Advocate, Secretary for Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, and the California Council on Science and Technology.