Ready to battle the budget

<p>SACRAMENTO — Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, sworn into office here Monday, begins work immediately on California’s $28 billion budget deficit that has gridlocked Sacramento lawmakers.</p><p>Evans, a former Santa Rosa City Councilmember, will chair the Assembly Budget Committee for the Legislature’s 2009-10 session.</p><p>“I can’t believe she wants the job,” said Evans’ daughter, Erin Deppé, who sat next to her mother during the 50-minute swearing in ceremony in the ornate Assembly Chamber.</p><p>Emerging from the ceremony, Evans learned that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had declared a fiscal emergency and called a special session starting immediately, giving lawmakers 45 days to act on a budget.</p><p>“That gives us a lot less breathing room than I thought,” Evans said.</p><p>The governor warned that California was in danger of running out of daily operating cash within two months.</p><p>The special session will force the new Legislature to find a way to solve the $11.2 billion budget deficit in the current fiscal year. The revenue gap will widen to $28 billion over the next 19 months if solutions are not found.</p><p>During a special budget session last month, legislators were unable to pass a revised state budget, as Republicans refused to accept any new taxes to go with cuts.</p><p>Democrats fumed that the governor was unable to drum up any GOP support for his own budget proposals.</p><p>In addition to Evans, also sworn in Monday were Assemblymen Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who represents the 6th District covering Marin and part of Sonoma County, and Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata, 1st District representative covering the North Coast from Sonoma County to the Oregon border.</p><p>Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, whose district also includes Marin and part of Sonoma County; Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa and a former Santa Rosa councilwoman, were sworn in to the state Senate.</p>