The seldom-met deadline for the Legislature to pass a new California budget arrives today with no chance it will be honored.
Lawmakers haven't approved a budget by the June 15 deadline since 1986, and Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Democratic-controlled Legislature don't seem close to reaching a deal on how to erase a $24.3 billion deficit.
Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, the Santa Rosa Democrat who chairs the two-house committee that is trying to draft budget legislation, said she hopes the Senate and Assembly will have something to vote on in a week or 10 days.
But there seem to be internal differences among both Democrats and Republicans over how to close the deficit.
Controller John Chiang says the state will run out of money if there is no agreement on a budget by late July.
