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Politi-Cal

Budget: Two down

By Evan Halper
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The state Senate followed the lead of the lower house, voting down the GOP spending plan. Now it is onto the Democratic proposals, which are also destined for the legislative recycling bin. The vote in the Senate was 12-24. Sen. Mimi Walters, a Laguna Niguel Republican running for state Treasurer, joined Democrats in voting against the measure. [UPDATED 1:10 p.m. Sen. Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) also voted against the GOP plan.]

Debate was heated.

‘The reality is when a family is faced with a declining paycheck they either go out and find another job or find a way to reduce their expenses,’ said Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar). ‘We can’t go out and find another job.’

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Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) said passing the GOP plan would be tragic for California children, many of whom are starting public school this week. ‘I can’t help but think about what this proposed budget does to dismantle and harm public education,’ she said. ‘I believe we can live within our means without actually being mean.’

--Evan Halper in Sacramento

Politi-Cal
Evan Halper

Evan Halper is a former staff writer who wrote about a broad range of policy issues out of Washington, D.C., with particular emphasis on how Washington regulates, agitates and very often miscalculates in its dealings with California. Before heading east, he was the Los Angeles Times bureau chief in Sacramento, where he spent a decade untangling California’s epic budget mess and political dysfunction.

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