California’s Brown Urges Caution as Record Revenue Swells Budget
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California Governor Jerry Brown is faced with a dilemma other leaders would love to have as he releases his budget today: what to do with record tax revenue expected to leave the most populous U.S. state with a growing surplus.
The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office projects California will take in at least $2 billion more in revenue this fiscal year than what is estimated in the budget. That has lawmakers from Brown’s Democratic party calling on the 76-year-old governor to spend more on safety-net programs and other priorities. Brown urges caution, pointing out that most of the additional revenue must by law go to public schools.