Governor Brown Still Wants Lawmakers To Call Tax Election

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Jerry Brown says he still hopes to win a vote in the Legislature to ask Californians whether they want to extend increases to the sales, personal income and vehicle taxes to help close the rest of the state budget deficit.

   The Democratic governor said Tuesday he would prefer that approach to an independent ballot initiative. He ended talks with GOP lawmakers last week over his plan to hold a June special election on the taxes, saying time had run out.

   Still, Brown says Californians of all political persuasions have no appetite for billions of dollars in cuts to public schools, universities, fire protection and law enforcement.

   Brown already signed $11.2 billion in spending cuts, mostly to social services, leaving the state with a $15.4 billion budget deficit.

   (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)