Under the California Constitution, "The Lieutenant Governor shall act as Governor during the impeachment, absence from the State, or other temporary disability of the Governor or of a Governor-elect who fails to take office." Thus, because Schwarzenegger is currently on business in China, Maldonado does have the authority to file an appeal that the governor objects to.

It's difficult to imagine that Maldonado would actually do such a thing, however. For one thing, he presently has much more important matters to deal with. Not long after Schwarzenegger left for China, a massive gas explosion occurred in San Bruno, California. As the state's acting governor, Maldonado has been quite busy dealing with this tragic development.

Moreover, filing an appeal that Schwarzenegger has consistently and publicly opposed would be nothing less than a declaration of war against the highest ranking official in his state.