SACRAMENTO - Next year is likely to bring a special election with ballot initiatives aimed at reforming state government, according to speakers at a symposium on how to fix the state's perennial budget challenges and dysfunctional operation.

Both incoming state Sen. President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and state Sen. Mark Wyland (R-Carlsbad) said voters are likely to have a say on the two-thirds requirement for passing a state budget, taxes and possibly more.

Steinberg and Wyland were featured on a discussion panel on the topic, "Moving Forward" and cautioned that voters won't be easily convinced such reforms are necessary.

"I believe if we go out there with sort of the same thing we've tried before, we'll be pushed back," Steinberg said. "My goal will be to broaden the definition of reform."

In addition to revamping the two-thirds requirement that legislative Democrats said was largely to blame for the record-setting delay in approving a 2008-09 state budget, Steinberg said he sees a need for reform on the volatility of state revenue sources, ability to raise new revenues for local governments, and use of the ballot initiative.

"We all come out of the last budget round rather bruised," he said. "And we come out with the commitment that we're not doing this ever again."

Wyland said he also believes third-party groups such as the California Teachers Association, unhappy with the budget signed into law only this week, may also sponsor a ballot initiative next year to raise personal income taxes.

If that goes through and the two-thirds requirement is eliminated, he said, it would make annual budget negotiations easier. But he's not sure voters will embrace such ideas.

He called for altering the legislative calendar to essentially make a session a two-year process, with one year devoted to crafting a two-year budget and the other devoted to other legislation.

"I think that's a change that's relatively nonpartisan," Wyland said. He added that redistricting reform, such as that found in Proposition 11 this November, is also a pathway to improving state government.

A statewide special election, likely to be held next June, is already necessary given that voter approval is required for reforms included in the new state budget.

The symposium was presented by California Forward, a nonpartisan group aimed at improving state government.

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