Brown cuts $128 million from Democrats’ budget

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Gov. Jerry Brown trimmed $128 million from the budget passed by Democratic lawmakers before signing the spending plan into law late Wednesday night.

The cuts include reductions to financial aid for college students and child-care programs -- two of the areas that divided Brown and Democratic lawmakers in the final days of the budget fight.

The cuts trim those programs back further than lawmakers wanted, but do not go as far as the reductions proposed by Brown in his May budget revision, according to sources familiar with Brown’s actions.

The vetoes bring the total size of the general fund spending in the budget plan to $91.3 billion.

‘This budget reflects tough choices that will help get California back on track,’ Brown said in a statement announcing the signing of the budget proposal Wednesday evening.

Democratic lawmakers said they hoped Brown would sign the budget plan as is after weeks of closed-door negotiations with legislative leaders.

‘My hope is [he] does the right thing,’ said Asm. Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills), chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. ‘We made a deal.’

A full list of the additional reductions is expected to be released by Brown’s office Thursday morning.

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-- Anthony York in Sacramento