SACRAMENTO - Any hopes for a change in the judicial retirement plan this year was firmly dashed against the rocks on Friday.
A joint Assembly and Senate budget committee voted 5-1 to reject reform of Judicial Retirement System II at what was its final meeting on the 2007-08 budget. The outcome came as little surprise, although supporters of the plan, mainly the Judicial Council of California, had held hope for a last minute deal.
"We had expected in recent days that it would close out in this way," said Eraina Ortega, government advocate for the Judicial Council. "It remains a high priority, so I am sure we will continue to explore how this could be approved either in a bill or in some fashion in the future."
The lone vote of dissent came from an unexpected source, Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta. Ortega said the Judicial Council might look to Senate Republicans for help reviving the plan.
Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego, voted against the plan, even though she had voiced the strongest support for striking a compromise that would be acceptable both the Senate and the Assembly.
Neither Hollingsworth nor Ducheny commented at the committee hearing about the reason for their votes.
The Judicial Council had wanted to lower the threshold for judges to retire by giving them full benefits at the age of 63 with 10 years of service. The group argued that the reforms would encourage more attorneys to seek judgeships and help retain those already serving. Assembly lawmakers said they felt it would create a flight of black robes as older judges scrambled to take advantage of an earlier retirement.
Currently, judges must be 65 or older and have worked for 20 years to qualify.
The decision completes the work of the budget committee on judicial branch items. Overall, Ortega said she is "positive" about the outcome of the decisions, especially in regards to hiring more judges for the trial courts.
The budget committee rejected a $26 million enhancement for trial court security, as well as a $5 million pilot project to establish a civil Gideon program in California. The committee approved funding for courtroom construction projects and self-help programs.

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