California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a noon time new conference on his State of California Website and rejected newley elected GOP Senate Leader Dennis Hollingsworth’s call to reopen stalemated California state budget negotiations with taxes off of the table. He said those Senators that think the California State Budget shortfall can be solved without new tax revenues do not know their math and need to retake math 101.

The Quote:

“Anyone that runs around, I think, and says that this can be done without raising taxes, I think has not really looked at it carefully to understand this budget or has a math problem and has to get back, as I said, and take Math 101,” Schwarzenegger said.

In the meantime, the California State Senate has reconvened and Senate Democrat Leader Darrell Steinberg called up AB 3, the budget tax bill for a vote and it failed 23 to 12 (27 affirmative votes necessary for passage). Note: GOP Senators Cogdill, Ashburn and Cox did NOT vote along with Democrat Senator Correa.

Steinberg then took to the floor of the Senate and said he would call up a vote every hour on the hour and update the state of the state if a budget does not pass today. This hour was a potential loss of federal transportation money.

Stay tuned……