California's Gov. Brown calls for more budget cuts

SACRAMENTO, May 11 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown says more budget cuts are on the way and warned they will go much deeper if his bid for higher taxes fails with voters.

Brown issued the warning Thursday while delivering boxes of petitions to election officials requesting that his proposed tax increase be placed on the November ballot, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He said he will release a revised budget proposal next week that will call for far more than the $4.2 billion in spending cuts he has already requested.

"With this tax measure, and with the cuts that I'll be proposing on Monday, California will put itself in a very, very strong position," Brown said at the office of the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters.

The Times said California's tax revenue has lagged by $3.5 billion and spending is up $2.1 billion.

Brown said his new budget proposal will be between $85 billion and $90 billion, down from the $92.6 billion he proposed in January.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.