Governor-Elect Brown Pledges To Start Work on State Budget

On Wednesday, Gov.-elect Jerry Brown (D) said he plans to collaborate with lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle to close California's estimated $12 billion deficit after he takes office, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Brown said he intends to meet with Democratic and Republican leaders on Thursday in Sacramento to begin budget discussions.

Brown's Budget Plans

The governor-elect has yet to offer detailed plans for addressing California's budget deficit (Young, AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/3). However, he has proposed shifting some tax allocation authority away from state government and toward cities, counties and school districts (Halper/Mishak, Los Angeles Times, 11/4).

Brown said Tuesday's election demonstrated that voters are "in no mood to add to their burdens" with new taxes. He added that he is preparing to reduce government spending and fix the "broken process" of crafting a state budget (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/4).

Brown also said the upcoming budget process will be "transparent, exhaustive and inclusive" (Roe/Glickman, "KPCC News," KPCC, 11/3).

Propositions Could Simplify, Complicate Budget Process

On Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) told reporters that the lawmakers likely will restart budget negotiations within the next few months.

The announcement comes after California voters approved Proposition 25, which allows the Legislature to pass a budget with a simple majority rather than a two-thirds vote. Although Proposition 25 could simplify the state's budget process, other newly passed ballot measures could add complications.

Voters also approved Proposition 26, which requires a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes and certain fees reclassified as taxes (Buchanan, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/4).

In addition, the newly passed Proposition 22 prevents California lawmakers from tapping local government funds to close the state's deficit (Yamamura, Sacramento Bee, 11/4).

Editorials

Headlines and links for editorials on Brown's election and upcoming budget discussions are provided below.

"Jerry Brown, Then and Now" (Los Angeles Times, 11/4).
"Prop. 25 Changes Everything" (Los Angeles Times, 11/4).
"Editorial: Ballot Props Deliver Tricks But Few Treats" (Sacramento Bee, 11/4).
"Editorial: Brown's Back -- But Agenda Is a Work in Progress" (Sacramento Bee, 11/3).
"Jerry Brown an Old Hand, a New Reality" (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/4).

Broadcast Coverage

Headlines and links for broadcast coverage on California's new budget process are provided below.

"Democrats Happy About Passage of Prop 25" (Lieszkovszky, "KXJZ News" Capitol Public Radio, 11/3).
"Brown Vows To Battle California Budget Deficit as Governor" (Roe/Glickman, "KPCC News," KPCC, 11/3).
"Can Prop 25 Fix California's Budget?" (Troeh, "Marketplace," American Public Media, 11/3).

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