Brown Working With Democrats On New Budget Compromise
SACRAMENTO (KCBS) ---Governor Jerry Brown could submit a new plan for a balanced budget as early as Wednesday, after vetoing the one passed by the legislature last week.
There's new pressure on lawmakers, now that the state controller has decided to withhold their pay until the budget is done properly.
Governor Brown met with Assembly and Senate Democrats, but didn't tell reporters what the next step is, in the budget process.
"We're working together, making very tough decisions," he said.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
Senate Budget committee chairman Mark Leno told KCBS that the governor promised to come back with a new plan Wednesday, replacing some of the fee hikes in the Democrats' budget that he vetoed with much deeper cuts in spending on schools, and social services.
"The governor said it wasn't deep enough in ongoing cuts, and that's why he vetoed our budget," Leno said. "We'll know more as to exactly how much deeper he wants to go."
The governor did not meet with Republicans and seems to be abandoning his goal of getting them to embrace his ideas.
Lawmakers are working without pay now, since Controller John Chiang ruled last week's budget out of balance, by almost two billion dollars, which means no paycheck or per diem until they pass one without a deficit.
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