Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a temporary, one-cent increase in the state sales tax along with long-term budget reforms in an effort to break the stalemate in budget negotiations that have been stalled for more than a month, legislative sources close to the talks said Monday. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee Evan Halper and Nancy Vogel in the Los Angeles Times Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury

If voters approve a November ballot measure banning same-sex marriages in California, thousands of gay and lesbian weddings conducted since the state Supreme Court legalized the unions on May 15 will probably remain valid, Attorney General Jerry Brown said Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle

Dakin is founder of Citizens for Civil Discourse, a nonpartisan group in Washington, D.C., working to promote a new "National Political Do Not Contact Registry" that includes such "robocalls," which are used in political campaigns ranging from school board elections to the race for president. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle

After analyzing kids' items offered by 13 of the nation's 25 largest restaurant chains, the Center for Science in the Public Interest concluded that 93 percent of the meals provide too many calories. Carrie Peyton Dahlberg in the Sacramento Bee

San Francisco took a major step Monday to cement its reputation as the most environmentally progressive city in the United States, as Mayor Gavin Newsom signed into law stringent green building codes for new construction and renovations of existing structures in the city. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a temporary one-cent increase in the state sales tax for the next three years in exchange for long-term fixes he believes would solve the state's perennial budget woes, several sources familiar with the negotiations said Monday. The governor's proposal comes as he and lawmakers are 35 days into the fiscal year with no approved spending plan. Jim Sanders and Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee Evan Halper and Nancy Vogel in the Los Angeles Times

Crude oil futures drop, meaning more relief for consumers could be on the way. The Energy Department says the average gas price dipped to $3.88 a gallon nationally and $4.205 in California. Martin Zimmerman in the Los Angeles Times

Is Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom already putting together his team for that 2010 gubernatorial run? The newlywed mayor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were spotted in Malibu Saturday, honeymooning deep in lengthy conservation over frappucinos -- with Democratic uber-political consultant Garry South. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog

The first wave of Americans to default on their home mortgages appears to be cresting, but a second, far larger one is quickly building. New York Times

California bullet-train enthusiasts risk losing support from key environmental groups because of a dispute over the train's route. Unless resolved soon, the conflict could pose problems for a high-speed rail bond measure on the November ballot. The Sierra Club and the Planning and Conservation League have not yet taken a position on Proposition 1, which would authorize $9.95 billion in state borrowing to jump-start the 800-mile rail. E.J. Schultz in the Sacramento Bee