The leader of the California Senate is acknowledging that disappointing state revenues will force another round of deep budget cuts this year.
Democrat Darrell Steinberg said his majority party won't shy away from making those cuts, but will search for reductions that cause the least amount of harm possible.
"We will do what we have to do to balance the budget, but we will do so again in ways that minimize - that attempt, I should say, with an emphasis on attempt to minimize - the impacts to people who are most in need," said Steinberg.
Revenues are already coming in three billion dollars below the projections in Governor Jerry Brown's January budget proposal. That means the state's estimated nine billion dollar deficit will be much larger when the governor updates his budget proposal later this month.
Steinberg spoke Wednesday as hundreds of parents and their children rallied at the Capitol against proposed budget cuts to child care.