Senators dismissed without 2007-08 budget

State senators were dismissed from Sacramento Wednesday night without a 2007-08 budget, after Democrats only got one of the two Republican votes they needed to pass the Assembly-approved, $145-billion budget.

The sole GOP vote came from Santa Maria Sen. Abel Maldonado, while Huntington Beach Sen. Tom Harman and the other 13 Republican senators opposed the budget. They were hoping to vote instead on their own budget proposal, which slashed the projected $700 million deficit and another $142 million from the Assembly budget, but senate Democrats didn’t bring the GOP proposal up for a vote.

Harman staffers said legislators were sent home for a break, and negotiations won’t proceed until the session resumes Aug. 20.

— Alicia Robinson