SACRAMENTO - The California CU League backed legislation that passed both state legislative houses in 2007 before falling to a Schwarzenegger veto last fall. League representatives were told the veto was prompted by a possible effect on business costs. The defeat led to negotiations with numerous parties, including the merchant groups that opposed the 2007 bill, before an updated, 2008 version again swept through both the California House and Senate. Both years' bills were authored by California Assemblymember Dave Jones.
Melissa Ameluxen, state legislative and regulatory lobbyist for the CCUL, said attempting to forecast the governor's approval versus termination of the current legislation is "unpredictable" as a Sept. 30 deadline draws nearer.
"We have been in communication with the governor's legislative staff," she told Credit Union Journal. "We understand they like the changes we've made, but the staff can never tell you whether the governor is going to sign or veto the bill."
Ameluxen noted the Los Angeles Times editorialized in favor of the bill earlier in the month. "That is a good sign, and the more the press picks up on this, the better. The way the bill moved through the legislature, in such a bipartisan fashion, I can see no reason why the governor would not want to sign it."(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com/ http://www.sourcemedia.com/
