After meeting throughout the day Saturday, and for much of Sunday, the Legislature ended the 2007-08 Legislative Session Sunday night without passing a State budget for 2008-09. Several key transportation-related bills moved to the Governor's desk last week and over the weekend (to be summarized in an upcoming Legislative Bulletin). On Friday, the Senate Democratic leadership put up a vote on their latest version of a budget; it was based substantially on the Governor's so-called "compromise budget," and included his proposal to shift another $317 million from the State Transit Assistance Program back to the General Fund. That budget was defeated on a partisan basis. The Senate Republicans then offered their version of a budget; it differs from the Governor's approach in that it does not include the temporary sales tax increase, and makes more cuts in state spending, including the same cuts to transit proposed in the Governor's latest version. That measure is expected to be taken up later this week. Lawmakers are now constrained by the State Constitution to work on only the State budget or bills related to the budget. (posted Sept. 2, 2008)