Bob Fox's Legislative Analysis

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2003) -- The single most significant development this week was the announcement by the Governor that he would veto the bill that would have tripled the vehicle license fees. Because that bill was tied to the budget cuts that the legislature had agreed upon, they are now back to square one with no agreement on cuts in expenditures.

There has been a lot of press coverage on the Governor's intention to renegotiate the Indian gaming compacts, and his announcement that there would be a $1.5 billion "revenue enhancement" as a result of the negotiations. While there is some disagreement with the tribes, the consensus is that there won't be a fraction of that amount realized.

The budget shortfall continues to be the single biggest topic at the legislative hearings. The administration is in New York meeting with the bond credit rating agencies in an attempt to convince them that they have the situation "under control." It will be a very "hard sell."

There have been very few bills introduced and with the deadline for bill introduction just a little over three weeks away, it is expected that there will be a rush to meet the deadline. The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association is closely monitoring the bills as they are introduced, and the Website contains information on the ones that have been identified as bills of interest or concern.

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