Last Day Shenanigans

Last night was my first true experience with the Assembly's "last day of session" shenanigans. And there were some, though most observers note that it was relatively calm compared to past years. The big bills had already passed (minimum wage, gay marriage and drivers licenses for illegal immigrants) and the others had been scuttled ( SB1...aka "million solar roofs"). The most telling moment was in a press availability with Schwarzenegger legislation guru Richard Costigan, who at 6pm essentially said there was little left to negotiate with the legislature and vowed vetoes of many Democratic pet projects (minimum wage, gay marriage and drivers licenses for illegal immigrants). There was some late night attempts to revive SB 1 (the Assembly had a couple of "off the floor" committee meetings), but it never got another hearing and when the Senate adjourned just before 10pm, all the fleeting hopes of a last-minute compromise were gone. The talks for a tax break for movie makers was scrapped as well, despite the support of both the Speaker and the Governor. The Senate couldn't hammer out a deal so all the caucus leaders signed a letter of intent to try again in January. Lots of other small things happened, but the Senate adjourning well before the Assembly irked several members, including the Speaker, who chastized several members of the senior house's members who had wandered over to the Assembly, saying, "We would appreciate some respect on hte floor of the Assembly, Senators."