Gov. Brown: Calif. Comes Back But Challenged By Drought
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has delivered a dual message in his annual address to the Legislature — that a California resurgence is well under way but also is threatened by economic and environmental uncertainties.
Chief among those uncertainties is the severe drought that is gripping the nation's most populous state and already is forcing water cutbacks among many farms and cities.
In the State of the State address he delivered Wednesday, Brown says the drought should serve "as a stark warning of things to come."
Brown has delivered more State of the State addresses than any other governor in California history. His latest version was workmanlike and without surprises.
It touched on the state's turn-around from years of budget deficits to projections of surpluses, and noted his continued efforts to reduce the state's prison population and equalize public school funding.
He only briefly mentioned the $68 billion high-speed rail project that is a priority of his but has lost much of its public support.
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