Having encouraged state workers on Tuesday to take Republicans to lunch, Gov. Jerry Brown today asked the California Hospital Association and a group of law enforcement officials to hug them.
"Hug a Republican, make them feel good," Brown said. "In fact I'm going to go up and down the state to see if I can't hug Republicans and ... tell them, 'We love you, but give us a break, let the people vote.'"
The Democratic governor has been unable to reach a budget deal with Republicans opposed to his plan to put tax extensions on a ballot to help close California's yawning budget deficit.
In two addresses today, Brown remained optimistic about his prospects for a deal, despite Republican resistance.
"I'm appealing to you to stay the course, don't get discouraged," Brown told law enforcement representatives at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. "We will get it done. There's a lot of ways to do things."
The California State Sheriffs' Association's Mark Pazin said Brown met Tuesday night with Republican Sens. Tom Berryhill of Oakdale and Anthony Cannella of Ceres at a reception at the Citizen Hotel. The two senators are among those with whom Brown talked before announcing last week that negotiations had collapsed
Brown said earlier today that he saw four Republicans on Tuesday night and "talked at some length to two of them." He said there are some Republican lawmakers who "really want to get there."
Spokeswomen for Berryhill and Cannella said the senators ran into Brown at the reception but exchanged nothing more than pleasantries.
Post updated at 3:20 p.m. to include comments from spokeswomen for Berryhill and Cannella.
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