UPDATE 5:55 p.m.
Legislative Democrats and Republicans generally had praise for parts of Governor Jerry Brown’s California budget proposal. But they raised concerns as well.
Democrat Anthony Rendon, who takes over as Assembly speaker in March, says he’s not sold on the governor’s $1.5 billion proposal to consolidate preschool and transitional kindergarten programs.
"It is a significant departure from the way that early childhood education has always been done in this state, and a departure from the way it’s generally done," says Rendon.
And many Republicans aren’t ready to back the governor’s push to restructure a tax on California health insurance plans. Melissa Melendez is the lead Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee:
"We have made it very clear that we are reluctant to give any support for that right now, given we haven’t seen any of these plans yet," says Melendez.
The managed care organization tax would require GOP votes to reach the supermajority support it needs to pass the Legislature.
- Ben Adler, Capital Public Radio
Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler Explains The Budget
ORIGINAL California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday proposed a $170.7 billion spending plan that would boost K-12 education, hold college tuition flat and tuck billions of dollars away in savings.


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