SACRAMENTO, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A lawsuit accuses California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of breaking the law by not giving schools another $3.1 billion to which they are entitled.
The lawsuit, filed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and the California Teachers Association, claims the money was guaranteed under the state's voter-approved school spending formula, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
"It's clear the governor has not just broken a promise -- he has broken the law," said the teachers' union's David Sanchez.
The dispute relates to a deal between the governor and education leaders in January 2004, when Schwarzenegger had just taken office and was grappling with a huge budget deficit, the report said.
The deal included a provision that schools' funding would change based on state revenue. The Chronicle said revenues did go up and education officials believed they were due additional money.
However, the report said, the governor did not give them that money in this year's budget.
A state finance department spokesman said officials don't believe the lawsuit will stand up in court as the budget was approved in the legislature. A hearing is expected this fall.
