Schwarzenegger calls budget session

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Lame-duck California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday he will make an effort to plug a growing budget gap before he leaves office.

Schwarzenegger announced a special session of the state Legislature that will start Dec. 6, the day newly elected legislators are to be sworn in, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jerry Brown, now the state attorney general, is to be inaugurated governor Jan. 3.

California's budget problems have dogged Schwarzenegger's last year in office. The governor signed a budget only a month and a half ago, well past the July 1 deadline, after 100 days of negotiations with the Democratic majority in the legislature.

Mac Taylor, the state's chief budget analyst, said the shortfall in the new budget is already at $6.1 billion and likely to grow to $25.4 billion in 18 months.

"Legislators will have to face the ugly truth that we can only spend the revenues we have," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "They know it won't be easy, but they also know they cannot wait to take action."

Aaron McLear, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, said Brown was notified of the special legislative session before the public announcement.