California lawmakers set to pass on-time budget

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are expected to vote Friday on an on-time Democratic spending plan that includes a historic education funding shift to boost the fortunes of school districts with high numbers of poor and minority students while restoring some social services that fell victim to the recent recession.

The new $96.3 billion state budget negotiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders benefits from California’s recovering economy and a tax increase approved by voters last fall. It contains a $1.1 billion reserve and pays down some of the “wall of debt” the state accrued during a series of budget crises marked by multi-billion dollar deficits.