Big Five Back at It Monday

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders held a marathon round of budget talks with no resolution about how to close California's $19 billion deficit.

Democratic and Republican leaders of the Assembly and Senate met with Schwarzenegger for several hours Friday afternoon but said they had nothing to report after the meeting.

All sides took the weekend off.

The state has broken a record by going 79 days beyond the start of the fiscal year without the Legislature approving a budget. The longest previous impasse was 78 days.

Democrats want to delay corporate tax breaks passed in 2009 while also pushing for a combination of spending cuts, new taxes and fees. Republicans reject any new taxes and fees.

A spokeswoman for state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said budget talks will resume Monday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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