With the stroke of his pen, Governor Brown cut sharply from the UC and CSU systems, the state's welfare-to-work program, and MediCal - just to name a few.
Brown: "But of course, we're only halfway to the goal line. And we need to find more revenues or we need to make more - and more drastic - cuts."
Brown says he's continuing to talk with Republicans about pension and regulatory overhauls and a spending cap. But the governor's tone is growing ever more frustrated.
Brown: "I find it shocking that elected representatives can so cavalierly say to the people, shut up, you have no right to weigh in on this."
Democrats want a deal by the end of this week to ensure a special election before the new fiscal year starts in July. That urgency apparently isn't shared by GOP Senator Bob Huff:
Huff: "Hey, we don't feel the pressure. The alternative is an all-cuts budget. And if that's where the Democrats want to go with this, it's certainly not our first choice, but to get to a budget that is asking Republican members to go up on extending taxes, there have to be some reforms in exchange."
Ask anyone if a deal is near, and you'll get answers like these two from Huff and Brown:
Brown: "Only the good lord knows…"
If negotiations break down, Democrats would have to decide whether to send a June tax measure to voters on a legally-questionable majority vote or turn to the initiative process in the fall.
