Governor Jerry Brown says he and state lawmakers are in a “very good position” to get a state budget passed, and he thinks there’s a “reasonable chance” they can do that by March 10. That’s the deadline Brown has set in order to put his plan for three tax extensions on a June special election ballot:
"I think we're within striking distance of getting something out of the legislature that will give people a chance to vote,” said Brown. “When they vote on tax extensions, they're also voting on the alternative of doubling the cuts.”
Brown says if the tax extension does not make the ballot, or if it fails, his plan B is another 12 billion dollars or more in cuts to state programs. He says primarily that would include public safety, K-12 and higher education.
This week Senate and Assembly budget committees adopted many of the cuts proposed by Brown. However, Democrats opted to soften some of them.
California faces a budget shortfall of about 27 billion dollars.
