CA Budget Draft Due Tomorrow (Tues., May 13)

Photo: gov.ca.gov.com

Photo: gov.ca.gov.com



The home stretch for California’s 2014 budget begins this week as Gov. Jerry Brown releases his latest draft spending plan tomorrow (Tues. May 13), in Sacramento. The headlines will no doubt focus on the “rainy day fund” discussion, and most of the speculation is that state courts – especially the civil courts – are not going to be happy. Remember that it was the governor’s draft plans that prompted street protests and lawsuits about this time last year.
 
A bit part of that rainy day fund will go toard some $200 billion in state debt that lawmakers have not figured out how to repay. A lot of that debt is the result of pension costs, according to a state fiscal analyst, so you can expect public employee pensions to come under fire during the debate. You’ll be able to follow the budget release in many places, but you might consider Allen Young at the Sacramento Business Journal for a nicely skeptical take on the governor’s spending plan.