Which Way, L.A.?

Will California Lawmakers Strike Budget Deal?

With billions of dollars at stake in Sacramento, Democrats and Republicans are nose to nose in an election year. Yet, despite the state-s constitutional deadline, California-s budget is 6 weeks overdue. Thousands of venders that provide goods and services aren-t getting paid. Neither are legislators or the Governor. The Senate passed a budget before leaving for a month-s vacation, but Republicans in the State Assembly are still refusing to go along. Is the biggest state in the union ready to pay its bills? We get contrasting opinions from Democrat Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach, Chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, and Republican John Campbell of Irvine, Committee Vice-Chair. Newsmaker: Voice of LA Lakers, Chick Hearn, Dead at 85 LA sportscasting institution Chick Hearn has died of complications from a fall on Friday at his Encino home. Hearn-s 36-year string of 3338 consecutive broadcasts for the Lakers was broken only by open-heart surgery in December, but he returned to call the team-s third straight basketball championship. Veteran LA sportswriter Doug Krikorian, host of ESPN Radio-s The McDonnell-Douglas Show, laments Hearn-s passing as the end of an era. Reporter-s Notebook: California and Environmental Groups Fight over Nuclear Waste A Sierra Club lobbyist has branded radioactive waste a -privileged pollutant- because of a state regulation that allows low-level radioactive waste to be dumped in municipal landfills. Governor Davis- Department of Health Services has continued the practice despite a judicial ruling against it. On Thursday, the judge will hear a complaint from the Committee to Bridge the Gap. Dan Hirsch is president of the nuclear-watchdog group.