I hesitate to write this because lawmakers tend to treat deadlines like college students do -- they ignore them or ask for an extension.

But here it goes ...

Sunday is the real deadline for enacting AB 3034, a bill aimed at improving the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond on the Nov. 4 ballot. This is according to a memo sent this week from the High Speed Rail Authority staff to board members and rail supporters.

The last "deadline" set by the Secretary of State was Aug. 16, though lawmakers suspected there was wiggle room. Now, there is apparently no more flexibility.

The Secretary of State's office "told us that August 24th (Sunday) is the true deadline for enacting AB 3034," rail consultant Steve Schnaidt writes in the memo. "County election officials are finalizing the ballot layouts, translations, etc., that will be printed in their respective jurisdictions ... They need to know what will be on the ballot and in the ballot pamphlets."

If that's true, then Sunday would also appear to be the official deadline for other ballot measures that might be a central part of any budget deal -- beefing up a budget "rainy day fund" and revamping the state's lottery.

Gov. Schwarzenegger has vowed veto all bills sent his way until lawmakers strike a budget deal.

The Senate and Assembly have passed the rail bill, but the bill's author, Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, has said she won't send it to the governor until there's "a signal" he'll sign it.

Unless something drastically changes with the budget -- lawmakers are still far from reaching a deal -- Gov. Schwarzengger will have to break his vow, or the bill will die. In that case, voters would take up the original rail measure, Proposition 1.

So far, Gov. Schwarzenegger has given no indication that he will back off his pledge.

AB 3034 replaces Prop.1 with Prop. 1a, which includes more spending oversight. Prop. 1a also includes language making it easier to spend bond money on segments that are not part of the main San Francisco-to-Los Angeles route through the San Joaquin Valley.

These two changes could make the measure more appealing to voters.