Legislature schedules Wednesday vote on budget plan

Still no sign that Gov. Jerry Brown has made any headway in convincing Republican lawmakers to support his plan to let voters decide on extending taxes another five years. That would leave the governor a few votes short of getting the needed two-thirds majority to authorize a ballot measure this summer on the tax extension plan. Brown said he would propose another $10 billion of cuts on top of those already in his budget if there is no agreement on the tax extension. He told reporters that "the more extreme elements of the Republican party are about to brand any Republican legislator a terrorist and some evil being if they give the people the right to vote." It's hard to believe that Brown and the Democrats will leave it at that. One alternative making the rounds: Launch a petition drive to place the taxes before voters next fall. But even if that were successful - a very big if considering it's an off-election year - it would still require Brown to make the extra cuts for fiscal 2011-2012.