"Senate Democrats plan to begin approving a stopgap budget solution today that spares education and social services for now and allows local governments to hike gas prices for transit, according to legislative sources.
The package would solve less than a third of the $19.9 billion budget deficit and avoid most of the politically difficult cuts that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed in his own January budget. Democrats hope to push debate on social service and health cuts into June, while they believe the Legislature should not rejigger the education funding formula until revenues are revised in May.
The Democratic plan could tackle up to $6 billion of the deficit. Democrats have not yet decided whether to pursue a $1.4 billion requirement that businesses and governments withhold taxes on independent contractors, sources said."
The package would solve less than a third of the $19.9 billion budget deficit and avoid most of the politically difficult cuts that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed in his own January budget. Democrats hope to push debate on social service and health cuts into June, while they believe the Legislature should not rejigger the education funding formula until revenues are revised in May.
The Democratic plan could tackle up to $6 billion of the deficit. Democrats have not yet decided whether to pursue a $1.4 billion requirement that businesses and governments withhold taxes on independent contractors, sources said."