With vetoes, Gov. Brown disappoints some fellow Democrats
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Democratic lawmakers were left feeling scorned by Gov. Jerry Brown when he sliced $195.7 million from the budget this week, reducing spending on child care, college scholarships and parks.
Although no one accused Brown of breaking any deals, Democrats had hoped he would sign the budget intact after weeks of negotiating. Instead, the governor issued a series of line-item vetoes in order to stockpile more money in a reserve fund.
‘We moved extremely far to get a budget that reflected his position,’ said Assembly Budget Chairman Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills). ‘There’s no way I’m happy about it.’
The full story ran in Thursday’s L.A. Times.
Brown did not say anything publicly to explain his vetoes. But his finance director said the governor thought it was important to keep a larger rainy day fund than Democratic lawmakers thought was necessary.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) sounded a more positive note on Brown’s cuts: ‘It could have been worse.’
[For the Record, 11:28 a.m. June 29: An earlier version of this post included a typo that said Brown cut $195.7 billion from the budget. In fact, he cut $195.7 million.]
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-- Chris Megerian in Sacramento
