Gov. Jerry Brown to release new budget proposal

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Gov. Jerry Brown, bolstered by his successful campaign to raise taxes, will release his new budget plan Thursday morning.

The proposal represents a shift for the governor as he transitions from battling the catastrophic deficits of past years to tackling a broad array of policy issues.

This year’s budget gap has been pegged at $1.9 billion by legislative analysts, much lower than last year’s $15.7 billion. Administration officials will detail their own estimates in the governor’s budget plan.

Brown is expected to call for sweeping policy changes in local schools, universities and healthcare. A preview of the governor’s proposals was in Thursday’s Los Angeles Times.

Each issue could bring the governor into conflict with entrenched interests. He wants to change how schools are funded to send more money to poor districts and pressure universities to be more efficient.

Brown also has to decide how to implement President Obama’s healthcare law. He has raised concerns about the cost of adding hundreds of thousands of new people to the state’s medical program.

The release of the governor’s budget will kick off months of haggling with lawmakers, activists and other interest groups. A final budget is due at the end of June.

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-- Chris Megerian in Sacramento
twitter.com/chrismegerian