When Jerry Brown gave his State of the State address in 2011, California had a $25 billion deficit.
Brown: "California faces a crisis
that is real and unprecedented."
Last year at this time, the deficit was $9 billion.
Brown: "So we're left with
unfinished business: closing the remaining gap."
Now, with California's economy improving and Brown's
Proposition 30 tax measure providing some extra income, that gap is
basically gone. Which means that at long last, the governor
can begin to look beyond the budget. He'll likely push his
plan to overhaul the state's education funding system. He
could discuss the proposed tunnel underneath the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta to send water to Central and Southern
California. And he might well renew his repeated calls to
change the state's major environmental law that deals with
development projects.
CPR's live State of the State coverage begins at 9am
on air and online. You can also follow our Capitol Bureau on
Twitter: @adlerben and
@capradioquinton.