CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Override of School Spending Cuts Fails

Efforts to override Gov. George Deukmejian’s veto of $462 million in school spending were dealt a fatal blow when Senate Democrats said they would not support such a confrontation and preferred to mend the problem through negotiations. Senate Democrats said they favor restoration of the cuts but are unwilling to reopen wounds from last month’s bruising budget battle while Assembly Republicans are waiting on the other side of the Capitol to shoot down any Democratic override attempt. “We think it would be a futile effort and it would just take time away from what we have to do with three weeks to go” before the Legislature adjourns for the year, said Senate leader David Roberti (D-Los Angeles). Any attempt to override a budget veto must start in the upper house because the spending plan signed last week by Deukmejian originated from a Senate bill.