Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes $14 billion in budget cuts due to decreased state revenue from the coronavirus. Valley News/Courtesy photo
ADAM BEAM
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Facing an estimated $54.3 billion shortfall, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday declared a "budget emergency" for the first time so the Legislature can pull from the state's savings account to balance a spending plan that includes cuts for colleges, courts and state worker salaries.
The move ensures the Legislature can take nearly $8 billion from the state's primary savings account to avoid even deeper spending cuts amid an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus and a subsequent stay-at-home order that has prompted more than 6.7 million Californians to file for unemployment benefits.
Newsom's declaration — required by law for lawmakers to raid what's known as the "rainy day fund"— is the final piece required to balance a $2
