Brown Seeks Business Leaders’ Support for Budget Proposals

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) addressed the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and urged about 1,500 business leaders to support the tax extension proposals included in his budget plan, the Sacramento Bee reports (Siders, Sacramento Bee, 2/11).

Budget Background

In January, Brown released a budget plan designed to help close the state's $25.4 billion deficit over 18 months. The governor's plan would cut:

• $1.7 billion from Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program;
• $486 million from In-Home Supportive Services; and
• $135.7 million from Healthy Families, California's Children's Health Insurance Program.

Brown's proposal also calls for the elimination of California's adult day health care program.

To avoid further cuts to health and social services programs, the governor aims to secure voter approval for temporary extensions of increases in automobile, income and sales taxes.

Seeking Support

Putting the tax extensions on a June ballot would require a two-thirds majority vote from the state Legislature, meaning Brown would need some support from Republicans (California Healthline, 2/1).

The governor said he hoped that endorsements from business leaders would encourage some GOP lawmakers to back his tax proposals (York/Lifsher, Los Angeles Times, 2/11).

Brown also said that he will need to generate additional support for his budget plan among Democratic lawmakers (Sacramento Bee, 2/11). Many Democrats have expressed reservations about Brown's proposed cuts to health and human services programs (California Healthline, 1/27).

Brown said, "Look, the Democrats are not cutting at the level they have to yet, let alone the Republicans offering to vote on an extension. The majority, or the two-thirds in each house, is not there yet, so we have to keep working" (Sacramento Bee, 2/11).

Broadcast Coverage

On Thursday, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on Brown's efforts to drum up support for his budget plan among Republican and Democratic legislators (Russ, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 2/10).