By Kevin Yamamura, Sacramento Bee

The Legislative Analyst’s Office provides a sobering take on how to solve the state’s $26.6 billion deficit without new tax dollars in a memo released Monday.

School districts would shorten the school year by a few more days, districts would increase K-3 class sizes and college tuition would soar. The state would soften its “three strikes” sentencing policy. And state workers would pay more in health care costs and face another round of two furloughs a month.

The 11-page letter comes in response to a request by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who asked the analyst’s office to suggest how the Legislature might solve the deficit without $13.5 billion in additional taxes.

“The LAO report is important information for people to consider, and the Legislature to consider, about what our choices are over the next (few) weeks,” Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said. “And then, ultimately, what the people’s choices will be come June.”

Few legislators in either party could stomach such deep cuts; Democrats are having a hard enough time accepting the sweeping social service and health reductions that Gov. Jerry Brown proposed in his January budget. They already plan to reject some of Brown’s ideas, such as cutting off aid for children in the state’s welfare-to-work program after 48 months, and replace the proposals with alternative savings.

Steinberg said he doesn’t think the analyst’s cuts will reach the floor for a vote.

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