California has been debating online poker for what seems like an eternity, and that eternity is going to last until 2012. State Sen. Darrell Steinberg, the Senate's president pro tem, said Monday that the online poker debate won't be heard before Sept. 9, which is the end of the legislative session.

From the Desert Sun:

That essentially put on idle two competing pieces of legislation: A bill proposed by Sen. Roderick Wright, chairman of the Governmental Organization Committee; and the other by Sen. Lou Correa.

“We believe that well-thought-out, fair solutions to these differences can be reached,'' Steinberg wrote.

“We also believe a significant amount of progress has been made on intrastate Internet gaming to the point where, absent unforeseen circumstances, we fully expect an objective proposal will be developed during the interim in time for consideration when the Legislature reconvenes in 2012.”