By Len Feldman
The battle against the governor's initiatives is overshadowing efforts to forge a new state budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year.
The Legislature has been reviewing the proposal unveiled in January, but the discussion will turn serious on or about May 10 when the governor issues updated estimates of state revenues and revised proposals on how to spend them. Sacramento insiders call it the "May Revision."
June 15 is the constitutional deadline for lawmakers to send the governor their draft spending plan and June 30 is the deadline for the governor to sign it, although, in recent years, both deadlines have been missed more often than made.
Because state revenues have been rising, a major element of the discussion is expected to be the governor's refusal to repay public education more than $2 billion he withheld last year. Public school supporters are saying rising revenues are providing more than enough funding for the governor to honor his promise and comply with Proposition 98's minimum funding requirements for 2005-06 as well.