Governor Schwarzenegger’s revised state budget is getting a thumbs up from some lawmakers. But, others are much more critical.
Capital Public Radio's Steve Shadley reports...
Democratic Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg says lawmakers will have to come up with what he calls some “dramatic and unpopular moves” to keep the state solvent after Tuesday’s election...
“The revenue continues to drop...we don’t know what will happen on May 19
th. If we don’t prevail...that will be an additional five-billion to six billion dollars. And, so the choices are the choices and we’re going to do what the people elected us to do and that is balance the budget...”
Steinberg vows to act quickly to resolve the state’s financial crisis. Steinberg says he’s open to selling off state property to generate revenue. So is Senate Republican Leader, Dennis Hollingsworth. But, Hollingworth says he’s not a fan of the governor’s proposal to release thousands of state prison inmates...
“I think that’s a huge mistake...there are other ways to cut corrections without releasing convicted felons on the streets...the communities of California...”
But, Hollingsworth and some other republican lawmakers say they’re encouraged by the governor’s proposal to consolidate or eliminate some state commissions, boards and departments.