Bills Aim To Keep California State Parks Open Despite Budget Woes

SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) -- Two bills being considered by state lawmakers would open the door for local governments or private contractors to keep state parks open if the state shuts them.

Republican state Sen. Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo is supporting legislation, SB356, to give counties and cities a chance to take over operations of a closed state park for one to five years.

SB386 by Republican state Sen. Tom Harman of Huntington Beach would require the state to post a notice if it planned to close a park and list contact information for outside parties interested in operating it.

Gov. Jerry Brown's budget calls for $11 million in cuts to the park system for the coming fiscal year, forcing some parks to close or reduce operations.

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