A Senate Bill aimed at providing financial relief from the state for salmon fishermen devastated by the near closure of this year’s commercial salmon fishing season has stalled in the Assembly with only hours left in the legislative session.

The bill, SB 1127, co-authored by state Senators Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) and Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), proposes to free up $26 million for the affected North Coast regions, including $5 million in grants, $20 million in zero-interest revolving loansand provisions to increase the Small Business Expansion Fund by $1 million.

Just what has caused the bill to freeze in the Assembly is unclear, but its authors are working with their legislative counterparts in the final hours to get the bill passed to send to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Northern California and Oregon fishermen are expected to land only 12 percent of their normal salmon harvest as a result of the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council’s severely restricted commercial salmon season, which was prescribed to deal with record low return of salmon in the wake of years of low water flows in the Klamath River that contributed to massive fish disease and die offs.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez declared earlier this month that a fisheries failure had occurred because of drought conditions, which clears the way for the U.S. Congress to provide federal relief funding, although appropriations committees in both the House of Representatives and Senate have yet to hammer out the details of the final aid package.

Chesbro, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday, said recently that he and his staff have been sharing ideas with Schwarzenegger, along with the congressional delegation, to find the most meaningful response for the bill, which he said will be a critical part of the overall solution to bring relief to affected fishing communities.

In a news release Tuesday afternoon, Schwarzenegger expressed concern and disappointment over the Legislature’s failure to act on the bill.

With one more day left in the legislative session, Sen. Chesbro’s and Aanestad’s staffers were remaining optimistic.

Bill Bird, communications director for Aanestad, said Schwarzenegger might have been premature in throwing in the towel and that he is sticking to his “never say never” policy with regard to legislation.

“It is not dead yet,” Bird said. “The situation is very fluid and several amendments have been offered on the bill.”

Bird said Aanestad’s office is not aware of what specific amendments have been proposed or what “horse trading” is going on the Assembly side, but that Aanestad will continue pushing the bill from the Senate.

Bill Maile, a spokesperson for Gov. Schwarzenegger, said in an interview Wednesday that the governor’s office is committed to getting the bill passed and will keep working on it “until legislative leaders bang the gavel to close the session.”

“What is important is that salmon fishermen have access to relief as soon as possible,” Maile said.