Democrats move to reverse some budget cuts

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Democratic lawmakers in the state Assembly pushed Wednesday to reverse cutbacks to child care programs that they had approved only months ago, setting up a confrontation with Gov. Jerry Brown.

When the governor detailed a revised budget plan a week ago, he projected an unexpected tax windfall of $6.6 billion. Brown said he wanted to use some of that money to pay off California’s ‘wall of debt,’ including roughly $750 million in internal borrowing.

But Assembly Democrats, in a budget subcommittee, voted Wednesday to instead restore $440 million to child care services.

‘Given the state’s $10-billion deficit, this is a real problem,’ said Brown, in a statement provided by spokesman Gil Duran.

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) issued a statement calling the vote ‘the right thing to do.’ Without the change, child care for 11- and 12-year-olds is set for elimination, and the program would be reduced for younger children as well.

Pérez’s office said Democrats would also provide an additional $550 million to community colleges and K-12 schools later this week.

The Democrats insisted that the shift hewed to Brown’s plan to pay off debts. Instead of repaying internal loans, they said, they were paying off a debt to schools owed by the state from a previously settled lawsuit. The schools money could then be used to restore the child care services.

[Updated 10:15pm: The story has been updated to reflect that Duran issued a statement from the governor.]

-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento