Lawmakers OK Another Budget Measure; Health Cuts Remain on Hold
On Thursday, the California Legislature sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) a measure aimed at reducing the state's $20 billion deficit by about $1.1 billion, primarily by modifying the state's gasoline tax system, the Sacramento Bee reports (Wiegand, Sacramento Bee, 3/4).
In recent weeks, lawmakers passed similar incremental measures.
Democrats have said they will wait for Schwarzenegger's May revisions before they consider substantial cuts to health care and social services (Yamamura, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 3/4).
Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said, "I am not willing to wade into cutting health and human services and education deeper as our first budget act in 2010" (Goldmacher, Los Angeles Times, 3/5).
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