Moving swiftly to beat a midnight deadline, the state Legislature on Sunday approved California's $108 billion general fund spending plan for the coming fiscal year.
The legislation, SB852, passed 55-24 in the Assembly and 25-11 in the Senate, mostly along partisan lines.
The unusual Father's Day legislative session came on the last day the Legislature had to meet its June 15 constitutional deadline to send a balanced budget to Gov. Jerry Brown. The governor and Democratic legislative leaders had agreed to the key details for the budget late last week.
The final plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 meets Brown's demands for a rainy day fund and paying down debt while allocating some of the surplus to programs benefiting lower-income Californians.
Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, highlighted some of the additional spending that was a priority for Democratic lawmakers, including preschool for low-income 4-year-olds and money to improve the availability and quality of child care.
Republicans criticized the additional spending, saying the state will not be able to afford it if another recession hits and once temporary tax increases expire in a few years.
