California budget deficit an uphill battle for new bills

California lawmakers on Monday continued moving through new proposed laws but under the cloud of a budget shortfall that will force them to be more selective. The state's estimated $31.5 billion budget problem means new proposed laws face an extra hurdle because most of them cost the state extra money. Last fall, after lawmakers and the governor finalized the state budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed several bills the Legislature sent him that would have amounted to $20 billion in additional spending. In his veto messages, he warned about the state seeing lower-than-expected revenues and the importance of being disciplined when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. More here: http://www.kcra.com/article/california-budget-deficit-laws-harder-to-pass/43897844