Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria, right, exchanges congratulations with Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento. Maldonado provided the final Republican vote needed to pass the long-stalled California spending plan, which includes more than $12 billion in tax hikes. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
State Sen. Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield, left, joined fellow Republican Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria, right, in supporting the spending plan. Sen. Dave Cogdill of Modesto cast a third Republican vote for the proposal. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Democratic state Sen. Louis Correa of Santa Ana, left, and Republican counterpart Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield embrace after the passing of the budget plan. Both supported the bill. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Sen. Abel Maldonado provided the final Republican vote needed to pass the spending plan. In exchange, Democrats agreed to rewrite election rules that Maldonado said had allowed the Capitol to become paralyzed by partisanship (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Democratic Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg, right, is congratulated by fellow Democratic Sen. Louis Correa after the budget bill passed in the early morning hours Thursday in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Democrat Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg, left, is congratulated by fellow Democrat Senator Mark Leno after the budget bill passes. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Democratic Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg, left, is congratulated by fellow Democratic Sen. Elaine Alquist after the budget bill passed early today in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
State Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) takes a break during the negotiations early this morning in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Republican state senators, including new Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, second from right, engage in discussion during negotiations early this morning in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
An aide worker catches some rest at 4 a.m. ahead of the vote on the budget plan in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A sign in state Senate Chambers reminds legislators how close they are to passing a budget. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Legislative staffers watch a news conference being given by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) at the Capitol. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Pedestrians walk by a budget counter that is updated every second inside the State Capitol building in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger walks away from the podium after a news conference inside the State Capitol, where he pleaded for lawmakers to pass the budget bill. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Republican Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth listens to Democratic Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg inside Senate chambers. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Sen. Louis Correa talks on a cellphone inside Senate chambers. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Sen. George Runner Jr. engages in a discussion as the elevator door closes in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
At 2 a.m., Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) checks his messages before grabbing 40 winks on the sofa in his office. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) brushes his teeth in the men’s bathroom of the State Capitol at 1:30 a.m. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
As lawmakers burn the candle at both ends, a pedestrian leaves the Capitol building before daybreak Wednesday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg speaks to the media outside Senate chambers late Tuesday night at the State Capitol in Sacramento, where legislators were working on the budget impasse. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Weary faces, including that of Sen. Mark Wyland (R-Escondido), second from left, at the California Senate all-nighter. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Sen. Louis Correa (D-Santa Ana) checks his messages in the Senate chambers in Sacramento. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In the early-morning hours Wednesday, state lawmakers still had not delivered a budget. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Steinberg, center, and a crowd of lawmakers. Overnight negotiations were intense at times. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, left, meets with staff outside Senate chambers. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg gets ready to unroll a makeshift bed at his Capitol office. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
