Gov. Jerry Brown has made it clear that the budget he’ll propose this coming Friday will focus on building a reserve and paying down debt. His fellow Democrats in the legislature say they agree with those goals, but they also want to restore some of the deep spending cuts from previous years.
“Look, everybody thought, you know, when we got these supermajorities – oh, they’re gonna – watch ’em, they’re gonna overreach," Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg told reporters in mid-December. "We didn’t – and we won’t. But we’re also not gonna under-reach. We’re gonna find that balance and we’re gonna make smart investments while putting money away and paying down debt,”
Democrats begin the new year with two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. That’s enough to raise taxes and override gubernatorial vetoes.
![Dennis Goedegebuure, flickr](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/1127431/fppc.jpg)
May 30, 2018Fair Political Practices Commission chairperson Jodi Remke announced Tuesday that she will step down on Friday. It follows months of acrimony with other commissioners.
![In this Jan. 3, 2018, file photo, California Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, announces that he will take a month-long leave of absence while an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him are completed in Sacramento, Calif. Steve Yeater / AP file](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/10118039/022218TonyMendoza-p.jpg)
February 22, 2018His resignation followed an outside investigation, which found that Mendoza likely engaged in "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six different women, including former staffers and fellows. The allegations date back to 2007.
![Members and staff of the California Senate Rules Committee prepare to meet in closed session on Friday, February 16, 2018, to discuss the sexual harassment investigation into Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Whittier). Ben Adler / Capital Public Radio](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/10101471/senrules-021618.jpeg)
February 20, 2018A summary of the Senate’s outside investigation comes after the chamber’s Rules Committee met in closed session to discuss Mendoza’s fate for the second weekday in a row.
![Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, speaks at the Capitol Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. Rich Pedroncelli / AP / File](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/9716389/2017 Laura Friedman AP P.jpg)
January 18, 2018New legislative efforts supporting the “Me Too” anti-harassment movement could change the reporting process for victims filing complaints.
![Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/9579526/102617CapitolP.jpg)
October 26, 2017Women in California politics, protesting sexual harassment and abuse at the Capitol, distrust the response from legislative leaders.
![](/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,width=186,height=140,fit=crop/media/6505240/NPR-capitolshot.jpg)
March 28, 2016A man drew a weapon during routine security screening at the U.S. Capitol Visitor's Center and was shot by police, Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said at a news conference. No officers were injured, he added.
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