It didn't take long Wednesday for the state's partisan budget battle to reignite.
Fresh off a new Legislative Analyst's Office report that paves the way for mid-year cuts in education and social services, Democrats called for additional taxes and Republicans said lawmakers must rein in spending. The report also pegs the state's deficit at nearly $13 billion through June 2013.
The Assembly's Democratic budget chairman, Bob Blumenfield, said in a statement that the analyst's report "acknowledges that we made great progress last year but validates the need to raise revenues to finish what we started."
"We need solutions that protect education, create jobs and put California on the path to stability," he added. "That can't be achieved through cuts alone or by one party governing alone. New revenues can prevent cuts that shock the conscience, hurt our economy and compromise our morals as a civilized society."
His GOP budget counterpart, Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, countered by saying taxes are unnecessary.
"The Legislative Analyst's Office report indicates, as predicted, that the budget passed by Democrats with only a majority vote was overly optimistic and based on shaky assumptions," Nielsen said in a statement.
"It indicates that a lot more needs to be done to get California's budget under control, and that does not happen through tax increases," he added.
On the Senate side, Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, called for reopening budget talks to avoid additional cuts to K-12 schools and higher education. Absent legislative action, the state could impose up to $2 billion in auto-pilot cuts because revenues have fallen short of expectations.
"The Legislature and governor should explore all of our available options, and do everything we can, to prevent mid-year cuts," Corbett said in a statement.
Latest posts:
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.