Gov. Brown Warns Of Deep Cuts In Education

California’s budget deficit is smaller than last year but will require nearly $5 billion in cuts to public education if voters reject Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to raise taxes later this year.

KESQ.com will stream live coverage of the governor’s news conference at 2:30 p.m.

The governor’s office on Thursday projected the state’s budget deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1 at $9.2 billion. The number was first reported by the Los Angeles Times after the governor’s Department of Finance mistakenly posted the budget document online. It has since been removed.

The total general fund budget for the coming year is $92.5 billion, about $7 billion more than the current year.

If voters reject Brown’s tax increases in November, he will call for an automatic cut of $4.8 billion from public education. That is the equal to three weeks of school.