Hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a budget emergency, California State Senators approved a $202.1 billion spending package late on Thursday night.
The California State Assembly returns to session on Friday to pass the spending plan.
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The declaration of budget emergency by Newsom opened the door for legislators to tap the state’s rainy-day reserve fund to balance the budget.
In sum, the spending package closes California’s $54 billion deficit with $2.8 billion in state worker salary reductions, $1.7 billion in spending cuts to higher education, $150 million from California’s judicial system, and another $248 million from housing programs.
The spending bill also relied on internal borrowing from oft-underutilized programs, such as a fund for responding to oil spills, and a temporary tax increases on businesses to raise more than $4 billion in revenue.
California budget bills often become so-called “Christmas trees” filled with often irrelevant measures to funding the government.
Despite the steep pandemic impact to the Golden State’s bottom line, the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget would be no different.
Tucked in the budget bill was an expansion of the state’s assault weapons ban that would ban a new type of gun that is a hybrid of a pistol and assault-style rifle.
The gun, it should be noted, is not currently sold in California.
