Calif. Legislature approves $117.5 bil. budget
By Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers passed a new budget Monday, but the debate over state spending is far from over in the Capitol.
Shortly after the approval of a $117.5-billion general fund, legislative leaders returned to negotiations with Gov. Jerry Brown in an attempt to reach a final deal.
“We’re close,” said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego.
Lawmakers’ pay would have been docked had they not passed a budget by midnight. But the plan they approved is $2.2 billion larger than what Brown proposed, and the governor has repeatedly expressed concern that the Legislature’s ruling Democrats want to spend too much.