Schwarzenegger to veto all bills

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would veto all bills sent to him until lawmakers closed the state's $15.2 billion deficit and passed a budget.

"There is no excuse for the Legislature's failure to reach a compromise and to send me a budget," the governor said at a news conference, more than a month into the new fiscal year.

"Until the Legislature passes a budget that I can sign, I will not sign any bills that reach my desk," he said.

California is the only state with a fiscal year beginning July 1 that remains without a budget.

Thirteen bills are on the governor's desk now, all of which originated in the state Senate. Senate leaders said they would withdraw them before they could be vetoed. The bills -- eight written by Republicans like Schwarzenegger -- could be resubmitted before the Aug. 31 end of the legislative session, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Legislators are going without their salaries, but will get back pay when a budget is in place. The governor said Wednesday that state law should be changed to force lawmakers to forfeit that money.

California Controller John Chiang said the state had enough money to pay its bills into October, based on new, better-than-expected estimates of cash flow in the state treasury.

Administration officials say they doubted Democrat Chiang's assurances accurately reflected the state's cash situation.