Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says state lawmakers were courageous in approving a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts to close the state's massive budget deficit.
The Legislature approved a budget-balancing package early Thursday that is intended to close California's $42 billion deficit through June 2010.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, praised the package of bills, passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate and Assembly. He said Democrats compromised on their opposition to deep spending cuts while some Republican lawmakers set aside their opposition to tax increases.
He called the Legislature's work, after a grueling week of all-night sessions, "difficult but courageous, and just what California needs."
