California Legislators Worried About Next Year's Budget

By Ed Joyce / Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published August 24, 2007 at 12:27 PM PDT

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

While California now has a state budget, legislators are already worried about next year's spending plan. A San Diego legislator says a decline in state revenues sets the stage for another tough budge

While California now has a state budget, legislators are already worried about next year's spending plan. A San Diego legislator says a decline in state revenues sets the stage for another tough budget battle. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has details.

San Diego Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny says the new budget keeps the state moving by funding education and other programs.

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Ducheny : On the whole, I think it's an OK budget, it's not a budget that anybody's real excited about, but it's critical for keeping services going.

Economists say a continuing slump in new-home sales and construction and other economic problems could cut into state tax revenues.

Ducheny says the new budget was signed with an eye toward next year.

Ducheny : You know I've said from the beginning it's kind of a workload budget because we have been very conscious of the fact that the economy is not what we'd like it to be. You know, we're very concerned about revenues next year.

There's a $5 billion deficit looming for the state next summer. Falling revenue means legislators will have a hard time closing the gap without considering painful cuts to schools, transportation projects and social services.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.

Ed Joyce

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Ed Joyce was the environment reporter and afternoon news anchor for KPBS-FM. Before joining KPBS, he worked as an editor/columnist with Copley News Service in San Diego. Ed has an extensive background in newspaper, radio, web and TV journalism. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington in Seattle, Ed began a career in broadcast journalism. His work has included stints in public broadcasting, commercial broadcasting and education -- working as an affiliate professor of communication and reporter at the University of Idaho and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. During the past 20 years he has worked in radio, TV and print as a news reporter, anchor, writer, editor and producer. Along the way he has won numerous awards for general news reporting, newswriting, feature and issue reporting and breaking news reporting from The Associated Press, The Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and other organizations. During the mid-1990s, while working for Oregon Public Broadcasting, he was a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, including a feature report on the memorial service for 14 U.S. Forest Service "hotshots" who died fighting a wildfire in Colorado (the crew was based in a central Oregon town). He’s also filed reports with Marketplace, KQED’s California Report and Climate Watch and with national and regional networks throughout the United States. At KPBS, Ed continues his contributions to National Public Radio and other national and regional news organizations. He has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club for his environmental reporting at KPBS-FM-TV and for producing and anchoring radio newscasts. In 2007 he was selected a National Press Foundation fellow for Understanding Violent Weather II program. The seminars were held at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. In 2008 he spoke at a UC San Diego conference on U.S. National Security as part of the school’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Ed led a discussion with the 18 foreign government officials and academics about the political debate over climate change. In 2010, Ed was elected to a three-year term on the board of the San Diego Press Club.

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