Darrell Steinberg defends CA budget, aims for completion this week

◼ Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, defended the Legislature's deadline passage of a main budget bill Friday without most of the implementing language, responding to critics who suggested lawmakers had rushed through a plan to maintain their pay. - Sacramento Bee

Legislative Democrats and Gov. Jerry Brown largely disagree over how to treat the state's welfare-to-work program, CalWORKs. The governor wants to remake CalWORKs by imposing harsher consequences for parents who do not find a job or seek training. Brown wants to reduce grants and cut off child care and other assistance for those parents.

Democrats believe those consequences are too severe in the midst of 10.8 percent unemployment. They instead want to save money by continuing to provide full cash aid to parents of young children without requiring them to work or seek training. The state saves money by not paying for their child care, transportation or education.

Steinberg said his goal is to strike a budget deal with Brown this week. Last year, Brown swiftly vetoed Democrats' first budget the morning after they passed it on the constitutional deadline, but he has let the latest budget bill simmer since Friday.

Brown has until Wednesday, June 27, to sign or veto the main budget legislation, Assembly Bill 1464.