August 27th, 2012, 4:43 pm
Posted by BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento Correspondent

Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, told reporters Monday that he’s “optimistic” that a conference committee on pension reform will vote on a plan Tuesday that saves “tens of billions of dollars” over the next 20 to 30 years.

As the Orange County Register reported on Sunday, the analysts and political observers doubt that voters will support Gov. Jerry Brown‘s tax plan on the November ballot unless he and the Legislature approved pension reform. The Legislature, however, is required to conclude its work for the year at midnight Friday, leaving lawmakers with very little time to get something done.

Steinberg said there is not yet a deal on pension reform but he believes something will be ready by Tuesday, the deadline for legislative proposals to come out of conference committees. Under rules, if a bill does in fact come out of the conference committee on pension reform Tuesday, the Legislature cannot vote on it until Friday — the final day of the legislative session.

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