Dems Urge More Spending on Health Care for Low-Income Californians
California Democrats are urging Gov. Jerry Brown (D) to increase spending on health care and other services for low-income residents, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports.
According to the AP/Bee, California is projected to end the year with a surplus for the second consecutive year because of an influx of tax revenue. Specifically, the Legislative Analyst's Office projects state revenue of $111.4 billion for fiscal year 2015 -- a 3.7% increase above the current $107.4 billion general fund budget.
Brown's Position
Brown has emphasized spending restraint in past budget proposals, according to the Bee.
He noted at his inauguration speech this week that California already has made large financial commitments to health and human services, adding that Medi-Cal has enrolled four million more people in compared with 2012. Medi-Cal is the state's Medicaid program (Lin, AP/Sacramento Bee, 1/7).
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