SACRAMENTO, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a special legislative session, renewed his call for spending cuts affecting children, the elderly, disabled and poor.
The Los Angeles Times reported the lame duck governor welcomed new state lawmakers who were sworn in at noon Monday and then began to launch into his remedies for a state in fiscal crisis. But it was nothing new to Assembly Speaker John A. Perez, D-Los Angeles.
"The governor will have a difficult time convincing the Legislature to approve his proposal given the fact that it doesn't address the entire problem, doesn't create jobs and is, in fact, a rehash of proposals we have already considered and rejected."
Schwarzenegger renewed his proposals for eliminating California's welfare program, state-supported child-care programs, vision coverage for children receiving state-subsidized health care, and proposed ending cash grants to the elderly and disabled.
The proposals are comparable to ones Schwarzenegger set forth in May when rancorous negotiations over them led to a 100-day budget standoff.
California faces a $25.4 billion deficit and although Republicans urge quick action on the GOP governor's agenda, Democrats are willing to wait until fellow Democrat Jerry Brown takes over in Sacramento in January, the Times said.
