Arnold Schwarzenegger’s headache this week could soon be felt by California’s university researchers, after the state’s voters overwhelmingly terminated their governor’s suggestions for ending an ongoing budget crisis.

While the star of such movie greats as Conan and Commando will be worrying about his political future, scientists may be more concerned about their paycheques, as the state has no solution in sight for its $20 billion deficit.

On Tuesday voters rejected Schwarzenegger’s proposals to plug the hole with tax rises, borrowing and other measures and the state could soon have problems paying its bills.

“I think the message was clear from the people: Go all out and make those cuts and live within your means,” said Schwarzenegger yesterday. To cope with his lack of folding money, Schwarzenegger is proposing to shorten the school year, take money from local government, and lay off up to 5,000 state employees (AP).

These cuts could be bad news for universities. A previous budget crisis led to suggestions that university pay could be cut (see: Crush your employees, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations at their paycheques… – 29 July 2008).

This time round, Schwarzenegger’s problem “portends more pain for the state’s cash-strapped university system”, says the Science Insider blog.

Before the vote UC officials warned that a multi-million dollar shortfall was looming if the governor’s proposals were rejected and cuts may also hit the California Science Center and attempts to cut down on air pollution.