Governor Schwarzenegger is apparently open to a state senator’s proposed changes to the budget plan.
 
Abel Maldonado is one of two republican senators being pressured to vote for the budget.
 
But, Maldonado is asking lawmakers to consider alternative measures including an open primary and financially penalizing lawmakers if they don’t pass a budget on time in the future.
 
Governor Schwarzenegger’s press secretary Aaron McLear says the governor “generally supports” the concept of open primary elections…but he’s not yet fully committed… 
 

 “Its something he thinks we ought to look into and he also supports the idea of not paying leaders of the state while we don’t have a budget…but as it relates to this budget its unclear at this point and so those are issues we are working through right now…”
 
 
The state senate is in the fourth straight day of debating a plan to fix California’s 40-billion dollar budget hole.    
 
Most republicans oppose the measure because it contains billions of dollars in tax hikes.
 
Democratic Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg says he’s ready to keep the senate in session all day or longer until a budget is approved.