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Calif. Legislature Passes $96.3B Democratic Budget

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California's Legislature has passed the state's massive spending plan amid sharp divisions over whether the Democratic budget will further the state's recovery or eventually return it to the multibillion-dollar deficits common during the recession.

The Senate and Assembly passed the main budget bill, AB110, on party-line votes Friday. The action came a day ahead of lawmakers' constitutional deadline to send a balanced budget to the governor.

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg says the $96.3 billion Democratic spending plan ends the "doom-and-gloom" scenarios that were a hallmark of years past.

He says it contains more money for schools and begins to restore some of the social services cut or eliminated over the past few years.

Republican lawmakers say the budget for the fiscal year that starts in July contains accounting gimmicks and fails to address the state's debt.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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