Brown wants to complete budget in 60 days, predicts cuts to education
Gov.-elect Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he wants to complete a budget agreement within two months, an accelerated timeline that would allow a late-spring special election for potential tax increases or other revenue generation.
“I’m going to try to get the budget agreements done within about 60 days. I don’t think we have a lot of time to waste,” he said.
It's unclear whether the 60 days begins now, when he takes office on Jan. 3 or when he unveils his budget. Brown made the remark during a budget forum in Los Angeles, but he demurred when asked by reporters after the forum whether his proposal would contain only spending cuts or whether it would include new taxes.
“We’ll present a budget on Jan. 10. It will be a very tough budget but it will be transparent,” Brown told reporters after hosting a forum about the state’s budget crises. “We’ll lay it out as best I can. We’ve been living in fantasy land. It is much worse than I thought. I’m shocked.”
Brown laid out the timeline during his second budget forum, which was focused on education. Brown and other state officials painted a bleak picture for educators, saying that despite his view that