California legislators reconvene Monday for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final year in office, pursuing ambitious policy proposals on taxes and tech amid an estimated $18 billion budget deficit.
The state’s finances are likely to dominate the first half of the year at the state capitol. Newsom is set to propose a budget this week, which will kick off months of negotiations over a spending plan formally due by mid-June. California’s current fiscal year budget totals about $321 billion.
Some of the governor’s fellow Democrats and labor union allies want to protect priorities like health care by raising taxes on higher earners. ...