We Have A Budget

Yes, the petulant children have decided to pretend they have a budget but in reality they have merely tossed up a hail mary pass not actually scored the winning touchdown.
SacBee has one of the first stories.

As part of Maldonado's agreement, lawmakers approved constitutional amendments establishing an open primary system and banning legislative pay increases during deficit years. But legislative leaders refused to grant him his proposal to eliminate legislative pay altogether when the budget is late.

Leaders also agreed to Maldonado's demand to eliminate the 12-cent additional gas tax, which was estimated to bring in $2.1 billion through June 2010. The money will be replaced with a 0.25 percent increase in the state income tax, federal stimulus dollars and more than $600 million in line-item vetoes.

If I am adding this up correctly that puts the sales tax in LA County at 10%. Way to go fearless leaders.

Update1: AP has more:

The program cuts — some $15.1 billion, mostly to education — actually are higher than the proposed tax increases of $12 billion after Maldanado's last-minute changes. But many Republicans in the Legislature have signed a pledge against raising taxes and have decided to stick to it, even though they have not come up with a plan to close the entire deficit with cuts.
...
The tax hikes include an increase of 1 cent on the dollar in the state sales tax and a boost in vehicle licensing fees.
A 12-cent-a-gallon hike in the gasoline tax was removed along with a 5-percent income tax surcharge for taxpayers who owe money to the state at the end of 2009. Instead, lawmakers would impose a 0.25 percent income tax increase that would drop to 0.125 percent when California gets its expected share of money from the federal stimulus bill.

No mention yet when the voters get their say on the proposed increases in the sales tax.

Update2: The Central Valley Business Times has some of the sausage making details:

The logjam was breached with the votes of Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield and Sen. Dave. Cogdill, R-Modesto.
Mr. Cogdill had helped negotiate the complex deal and for his troubles was ousted by fellow Republicans as minority leader 24 hours earlier.
Mr. Maldonado was the swing vote in exchange for some of his pet ideas.
...
For his vote, Mr. Ashburn won approval for a state tax credit of up to $10,000 over three years for buyers of new homes.
To gain the support of Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, who had threatened to be the lone Democrat holdout and thus kill the budget deal, Orange County will get $35 million more in tax revenue every year.

We are still screwed.

Update3: The LATimes proves once again how marginalized the press has become with this gem:

In an unusually strong statement, Mary D.Nichols, the chairman of the state's Air Resources Board and an appointee of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said, "There are people who will die because of this delay. ... It is sad in an era where most people understand that strong environmental standards actually help California's economy as well as public health. ... Anti-tax zealots were able to force a weakening of our anti-diesel pollution standards as the price of a balanced budget."

I hold this as a possible ray of sunshine on a smoggy day. Perhaps the State will be forced to roll back its draconian global warming initatives to save its business sector.