Calif. Gov. Brown vetoes Democrats' budget

SACRAMENTO, June 16 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown Thursday vetoed the budget package passed a day earlier by Democratic lawmakers, saying it's "not a balanced solution."

"Unfortunately, the budget I have received is not a balanced solution," Brown said in a statement. "It continues big deficits for years to come and adds billions of dollars of new debt. It also contains legally questionable maneuvers, costly borrowing and unrealistic savings. Finally, it is not financeable and therefore will not allow us to meet our obligations as they occur."

The blend of taxes, spending cuts and accounting measures was expected to meet resistance from the governor.

Using their new ability to pass a budget on a majority vote -- and threatened with a loss of pay if a spending plan wasn't approved by Wednesday -- Democrats pushed through provisions that would raise vehicle registration fees and local sales tax rates and force online retailers to collect sales tax, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The plan would also impose deep cuts in higher education, the courts and local law enforcement, and would delay payment of billions of dollars in bills and debt repayments, among other things.

"It is not perfect. It is Plan B," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat, who called the package "worthy of the governor's signature."

Democrats said they hoped Brown would negotiate with Republicans for the taxes he wants so some of their cuts would be unnecessary, the Times said.

The budget was the first plan Democrats passed without the minority party's support since receiving voter-approved authority last fall.

Opponents called the plan unbalanced, gimmick-ridden and lousy policy.

"You vote for this budget, you own it," Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland said.