Schwarzenegger's Veto: A Raw Deal for E-Discovery?
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone on a veto bender over the last few days, axing 322 bills -- about a third that lawmakers have sent him -- as of late Tuesday afternoon. Among the dead is Assembly Bill 926, which would have enacted new electronic discovery rules long sought by the Judicial Council.
Council staffers along with plaintiff attorneys and defense counsel had worked on the rules for two years, finally reaching a broad agreement on legislative language. AB 926 sailed through the Legislature this summer without a single no vote. Schwarzenegger gave no specific reason for nixing the bill, offering only the same boilerplate language he has attached to most other bills receiving a veto:
"The historic delay in passing the 2008-2009 state budget has forced me to prioritize the bills sent to my desk at the end of the year's legislative session," Schwarzenegger wrote. "Given the delay, I am only signing bills that are the highest priority for California. This bill does not meet that standard and I cannot sign it at this time."
The bill's supporters were left scratching their heads."
