Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Budget Outlook Sets Stage for Legislative Battle

California’s budget could see multi-billion dollar surpluses within a few years, a big change from years of recession and budget cuts, and an improvement from projections as recently as a year ago. The state Legislative Analyst is forecasting surpluses that could reach almost 10 billion dollars by the year 2018. He’s advising lawmakers to put money into a reserve fund and paying down debt, but there will also be pressures to restore safety net health and welfare programs that have seen big cuts in recent years. Christopher Martinez reports from the state capitol.