KQED's John Myers is twittering the budget here

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Dems push for GOP senators to back state budget -- For the fourth night in a row, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders tried to persuade at least one Republican senator today to cast the deciding vote to close a $41 billion budget shortfall that officials said is necessary for the state to avoid insolvency. Wyatt Buchanan, Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Calculate personal tax impact of proposed budget -- The legislature is locked in difficult negotiations, just one vote shy of passing a new budget. Their ultimate decision will likely affect nearly all aspects of state government -- and the pockets of taxpayers. A family of four, for instance, could pay around $1,200 in new taxes if the proposed budget is passed. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/17/09

Squeaky wheels get the pork in state Senate budget deals -- The squeaky wheel gets the grease or, in politics, the pork. Case in point is the massively fouled up state budget negotiation, which after months of blather and posturing has come down to a final game of "Let's Make a Deal." John Wildermuth Chronicle Politics weblog -- 2/17/09

Stimulus bill expected to pour $26 billion into California -- San Joaquin Valley police departments can expect reinforcements from the $787 billion economic-stimulus bill signed Tuesday by President Obama. Michael Doyle in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/09

California lawmakers back Prop. 8 challenge -- A legislative committee has endorsed legal efforts to overturn California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. AP -- 2/17/09

Fighting bad breath and stalemated budget -- Some lawmakers took Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's toothbrush warning more seriously than others. Dan Smith, Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/17/09

Budget session bingo! -- As the state Senate debates the tax-hike component of the $40 billion budget deficit plan, bingo sheets are circulating around the back of the chamber of that august house. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/17/09

Taxes debated; Maldonado says deal 'close' -- The state Senate today finally debated the single most controversial element of the package designed to close the state's $40 billion budget deficit -- a $14.4 billion melange of income, sales and gasoline taxes -- but retired to private meetings before calling for a vote. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/17/09

Arnold and Meg: Deja vu all over again? -- No, it wasn't the ''Tonight'' show with Jay Leno. But former eBay CEO Meg Whitman's public roll-out of her gubernatorial campaign today at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose had more than a few reminders of the campaign and the promises of another successful, wealthy, political outsider ... named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics weblog -- 2/17/09

California senate in lockdown mode in effort to reach budget agreement -- The California State Senate opened its floor session this morning prepared for lockdown mode, barring a last-minute vote to solve the $40 billion budget gap. Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/17/09

California to begin layoff proceedings today -- After a frustrating holiday weekend that failed to yield the one vote needed to end California's budget stalemate, the state is poised to begin layoff proceedings Tuesday for 20,000 government workers. JUDY LIN AP -- 2/17/09

Abel's To Do List -- Seeking the final Republican senate vote necessary to pass the stalled budget, attention has turned to Senator Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria and what might motivate him to vote for the budget package. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 2/17/09

Whitman promises 2 million Calif. jobs by 2015 -- Likely GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman promised to create 2 million private-sector jobs in California within the first five years if she is elected as she delivered what amounted to a political-coming out address Tuesday. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 2/17/09

Whitman makes first public pitch for governor -- Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, in her first public campaign appearance as a 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tuesday warned that the state's top political job is "not a popularity contest" and said that California desperately needs an experienced business executive to rescue it from what she called the "insanity" of its current budget crisis. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Assemblyman Hagman rescues two people in auto crash -- "Thank goodness we weren't in lockdown last night." Those were the words of freshman Assemblyman Curt Hagman, who pulled two people from a burning car in downtown Sacramento at 8:30 p.m. Monday evening. Moments later, the vehicle exploded. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 2/17/09

Critics cool to $5 billion in home weatherization aid -- They doubt Obama's claims that the money will help create jobs, and say an economic stimulus bill is no place to allocate such funding. Sarah Gantz in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

Obama Signs $787 Billion Economic Stimulus Bill -- President Obama today signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus plan that he said begins "the essential work of keeping the American dream alive in our time." William Branigin in the Washington Post -- 2/17/09

  •  $1,000 offered for return of Armstrong's bike -- A Sacramento bail bondsman has offered a $1,000 for the return of Lance Armstrong's stolen bicycle -- no questions asked. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/17/09

KQED's John Myers is Twittering the budget here

Legislature adjourns with no budget; governor prepares to lay off 10,000 -- In addition to shutting down public-works projects, Schwarzenegger administration moves toward massive state layoffs as legislators again fail to garner the final GOP vote needed to pass a budget. Jordan Rau and Eric Bailey in the Los Angeles Times Jim Sanders and Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee Matthew Yi, Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle JUDY LIN AP JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/17/09

Highlights of plan to close California budget deficit -- Here are key provisions of the proposal to close California's $42 billion budget deficit through June 2010 AP -- 2/17/09

California, Almost Broke, Nears Brink -- The state of California — its deficits ballooning, its lawmakers intransigent and its governor apparently bereft of allies or influence — appears headed off the fiscal rails. JENNIFER STEINHAUER in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

Any OKd budget plan faces battle at ballot box -- Regardless of when a new budget deal gets passed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still is going to need help from California's voters to close the state's $42 billion budget gap, and that help may not be easy to come by. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Schwarzenegger to send layoff notices Tuesday -- With budget negotiations still hung up in the Senate, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to send 20,000 layoff warnings to state workers Tuesday morning. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/17/09

Key votes for California budget come with a price -- California's two-thirds requirement to pass budgets and tax increases makes every vote count. Some more than others. JUDY LIN AP -- 2/17/09

Walters: Opinion: Odd man out holds key to budget deal -- Sen. Abel Maldonado has been in the Legislature for more than a decade, but he's always been an odd man out. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/17/09

GOP risks branding itself as 'Party of No' -- Not only is the Republican Party at risk of branding itself as the "Party of No," it could take the blame for forcing the state off the economic cliff if GOP legislators remain unmoved by the state's fiscal crisis, observers say. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/17/09

Budget math: Just what is a two-thirds vote? -- Is it really possible that neither Sen. Dave Cox nor Abel Maldonado's vote is needed to pass a $41 billion package of tax increases, borrowing and spending cuts? Could Darrell Steinberg get a budget out of his house with just 26 votes? Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 2/17/09

DeVore fails in push for Villines' ouster -- The first GOP leadership challenge resulting from the budget negotiations came and went Saturday night as Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, moved unsuccessfully to unseat Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert EJ Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/09

Meg Whitman's first hurdle - state's male GOP -- Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is Republican, and proud of it, but as she seeks center stage in her party's nomination for the 2010 governor's race, there is a potentially deadly problem lurking in the wings. It's the California Republican Party. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Clinton tried to change venue for San Diego speech -- Former President Clinton delivered a speech as planned Sunday at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego, but he worked behind the scenes to relocate his appearance in the days prior, according to a letter from his chief of staff. The item is in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/17/09

Wealthy cities discovering they're not recession-proof -- Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Newport Beach, which are usually shielded from economic downturns, are seeing decreases in sales tax revenues, along with two-thirds of cities in Southern California. Alexandra Zavis in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

Recession Starts to Worry Silicon Valley, Report Finds -- The global recession came late to Silicon Valley, but the region is bracing for a rough year that may strain local social services. LAURIE J. FLYNN in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

Stimulus would offer relief to California's jobless -- Obama's bill would help fix the state's faulty benefit system and boost payments to unemployed workers. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

Swords to Plowshares helps new vets find jobs -- It can be even harder for such young people who are returning veterans dealing with the after-effects of serving in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Charles Burress in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Cash-Rich Oracle Scoops Up Bargains in Recession Spree -- The software giant completed 10 acquisitions in the past year, ranging from a maker of insurance-policy-writing tools, to a designer of "plan-o-gram" software used by stores to maximize their use of shelf space. This month it bought mValent Inc., a tiny maker of software that helps configure other software. BEN WORTHEN in the Wall Street Journal -- 2/17/09

Stimulus funds could fuel fast trains in Anaheim -- 2 projects, to San Francisco and Las Vegas, might be eligible for some high-speed rail money. ELYSSE JAMES and ERIC CARPENTER in the Orange County Register -- 2/17/09

Crafting the broadband provision of the stimulus involved plenty of networking -- Interest groups worked to get their messages across as lawmakers jostled for turf. Some economic forecasts linked to expanded Web access in rural America may be overstated. Tom Hamburger and Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

G.O.P. Governors Support Obama -- President Obama must wish governors could vote in Congress: While just three of the 219 Republican lawmakers backed the $787 billion economic recovery plan that he is signing into law on Tuesday, that trifling total would have been several times greater if support among the 22 Republican state executives counted. JACKIE CALMES in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

Obama adviser is a seasoned California voice -- Californian Nancy Sutley expects to have the ear of President Obama as his chief environmental adviser, reviving a White House office that lay virtually dormant during the Bush years. Jane Kay in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

In Obama's economic plan, stimulus is just the start -- This week will be a pivotal one for President Barack Obama and the U.S. economy, as interlocking parts of his economic rescue effort are set to be signed, sealed or delivered. Kevin G. Hall in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/17/09

State colleges bear down on transfer shortage -- The University of California and California State University are working with the state's vast community college system to boost the number of students who transfer from the two-year schools. Some are applauding, while others worry it could fail as past attempts have. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/17/09

Inside this Elementary School, Students Face Life, Debt and Taxes -- The minimum wage has dropped. New citizens keep arriving in need of work. And the government is still struggling to craft a budget halfway into the year. Politicians chalk up their difficulties to one crucial thing. EMILY ALPERT Voiceofsandiego.org -- 2/17/09

For Education Chief, Stimulus Means Power and Risk -- The $100 billion in emergency aid for public schools and colleges in the economic stimulus bill could transform Arne Duncan into an exceptional figure in the history of federal education policy: a secretary of education loaded with money and the power to spend large chunks of it as he sees fit. SAM DILLON in the New York Times -- 2/17/09

San Francisco school district sued over alleged bullying -- A teenager who says two schoolmates "sodomized" him with an umbrella handle at an after-school program is now suing the San Francisco school district, the neighborhood center and the alleged bullies, court records show. John Coté, Rachel Gordon, Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09

Rain not enough to ease conservation worries -- Three days of rain have raised the levels in lakes Mendocino and Sonoma, the North Bay’s primary water sources, but it’s done little to ease the need for conservation this summer. BOB NORBERG & ROBERT DIGITALE in the Santa Rosa Press -- 2/17/09

Former President Clinton pushes green energy during L.A. stop -- He announces a partnership between his Clinton Climate Initiative and the city to refit 140,000 street lights in L.A. with energy-saving light-emitting diodes. Marla Dickerson in the Los Angeles Times Rick Orlov in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 2/17/09

Alternative Energy Still Facing Headwinds -- The three-year fight over the Sunrise Powerlink, which is designed to carry solar, wind and geothermal energy, typifies the serious challenges facing President Obama and many of the nation's governors as they tout the power of renewable energy to put people to work and rescue the planet from the effects of climate change. Peter Slevin and Steven Mufson in the Washington Post -- 2/17/09

Report calls for curbing Fresno County cities -- Most of southeastern Fresno County should be placed off-limits to urban development so the county's dwindling supply of farmland won't be swallowed up by sprawl, a state-sponsored study suggests. Russell Clemings in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/09

Yet Another 'Footprint' to Worry About: Water -- It takes roughly 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer, as much as 132 gallons of water to make a 2-liter bottle of soda, and about 500 gallons, including water used to grow, dye and process the cotton, to make a pair of Levi's stonewashed jeans. ALEXANDRA ALTER in the Wall Street Journal -- 2/17/09

Border fence crawls to end -- Construction on the fence along the United States and Mexico border is wrapping up, but the work has not been warmly received by some. Sandra Emerson in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 2/17/09

Employee verification program cut from stimulus -- Congress has stripped language from the economic stimulus bill that would have extended a program to ensure that employers verify the legal status of new hires. Stephen Wall in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/17/09

Tobar: Paths to American dream converge in Immigration Court -- The walls in Immigration Court are painted a friendly shade of blue. The judges there are often exceedingly polite -- even though the laws they enforce can be cruel and unyielding. Hector Tobar in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

State allows disparity in maternity health coverage -- In California, many women who are planning families pay higher premiums with larger deductibles to secure optional maternity coverage. At the same time, thousands of other women are guaranteed maternity benefits at no extra charge. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/17/09

Firms look to digital health records -- The $19 billion prescribed in Congress' economic stimulus package to bring U.S. healthcare records into the electronic age is a welcome opportunity for information technology firms seeking to build market share in a still-young industry. Anita Huslin in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

Wireless' Next Big Innovation -- A University of California, San Diego researcher last week unveiled an invention that he hopes will bring the world another step closer to a level of wireless communication that is still more prevalent in fiction than real life. DAVID WASHBURN Voiceofsandiego.org -- 2/17/09

A year after Chino Beef recall -- A year after the largest beef recall in U.S. history, the federal government has failed to recoup the costs, deliver a promised policy change or complete its investigation into who was to blame for the illegal abuse and slaughter of suffering cows at a Chino meat plant. BEN GOAD in the Riverside Press -- 2/17/09

Census critical to boosting finances of Valley towns -- Firebaugh City Manager Jose Ramirez knows the census really counts for a small town like his. So last week, amid a broader Fresno County lobbying effort, Ramirez was pressing Census Bureau officials not to miss any of his town's residents -- even if they are hard to find. Michael Doyle in the Fresno Bee -- 2/17/09

Times' Paul Pringle wins George Polk Award for SEIU stories -- His reporting prompted the firing of the union local's president and sparked FBI and congressional inquiries. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/17/09

 • Thousands cheer cyclists along 2nd stage -- Rachel Ginsburg woke up early Monday, drove from Oakland to Sausalito, found parking by 7:45 a.m. and got drenched in the frigid rain as she waited to watch the Tour of California. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/09