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In CA: It's gonna be a hard 'no' on that budget, state Senate says. So let's defer and tax

State lawmakers aren't sold on Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised budget so they've offered a counter. I'll sum it up: Borrow. Defer. Tax. And some days, it seems life isn't ever going to go back to normal. Maybe that's a good thing.

It's Arlene Martinez with Thursday's news to know.

But first, let's journey to 1970 San Francisco to hear the story of how the Grateful Dead came to release “Workingman’s Dead” and “American Beauty.”

In Calfornia brings you top news from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Sign up for free delivery right to your inbox.

Senate to Newsom's budget: Mmm, no thanks

Especially on education and health care, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised budget proposal isn't sitting well with the state Senate. They've countered with fewer cuts, preferring to defer and tax instead.
Especially on education and health care, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised budget proposal isn't sitting well with the state Senate. They've countered with fewer cuts, preferring to defer and tax instead.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's 2020-21 updated budget proposal sought to make up $54.3 billion in coronavirus-fueled economic losses by cutting billions in public education and health care spending.

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The state Senate countered with a proposal that largely restores funding to both by deferring payments and imposing new taxes.

Instead of cutting $9 billion from public education as proposed by Newsom, the Senate proposes delaying the payments to schools for a year. In the meantime, districts could borrow money or use savings until they get reimbursed from the state.

A gaping hole in that plan is where, exactly, the Senate would get the money to pay districts back next year. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has predicted budget deficits through at least 2024.

More Golden State news, straight to your inbox. Our California newsletter is here.

"The word 'deferrals' is a euphemism for 'accounting trickery,' " said Jon Coupal, president of the fiscally conservative Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "It's the kind of accounting that puts private sector corporate employees in jail. I don't think it's good policy."

On the health side of things, the Senate would expand Medicaid coverage, including programs that cover dental and vision, paying for it in part by a tax on companies that manage the state's Medicaid program.

Newsom and other elected officials are hoping requested federal money comes through. Were that to happen, the cuts wouldn't be nearly as severe. The state must pass a balanced budget by June 15.

Another day, another warning from a health professional about the dangers of opening too soon. This one comes from Los Angeles County.

State employees are getting a 10% cut in pay, and Gov. Gavin Newsom said he'd do the same. For state lawmakers though, taking a pay cut is voluntary.

Heatwave and holiday bring people out

Groups of young people on the Monterey State Beach during the heatwave that struck Monterey County on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
Groups of young people on the Monterey State Beach during the heatwave that struck Monterey County on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

People flocked to Monterey County during this week's heatwave: Check out photos from the shore.

A popular Thousand Oaks hiking spot has closed indefinitely after weekend visitors left behind truckloads of trash and human waste, and trampled wetland vegetation.

Palm Springs, a popular tourist draw, prepares to welcome back guests, though exactly when that will happen isn't clear.

Watching, eating, reading

Customizable quarantine cakes are available via pre-order at Cafe Ficelle in Camarillo and Ventura.
Customizable quarantine cakes are available via pre-order at Cafe Ficelle in Camarillo and Ventura.

What's happening with those summer blockbusters, and will we ever go to the movies again?

They delivered food to healthcare workers, made delightful cocktails, sent us home with DIY pizza kits and brought live entertainment to social media: Here are just some of the restaurants that helped make quarantining life bearable, compiled by Ventura County Star food writer Lisa McKinnon (a total gem).

Aldi already offered grocery pickup in parts of California, but it's adding the service to 600 more locations across 35 states.

Two books by San Bernardino County residents aim to help children make sense of life today: "Little B Learns About Social Distancing" and "Why We Stay Home."

There's no return to the way it was. Maybe it can be better

Pandemics have long had starring roles when it comes to changing the course of history. The question is, what's on the other end of this curtain call?

“Whether it’s the bubonic plague, the Spanish flu or coronavirus, pandemics inevitably are both health events and social events that cause transformations in society and politics,” says Marina Gorbis, executive director at the Institute for the Future, a nonprofit think tank in Palo Alto.

And those who study the human march through history say the nation's future can be better than its past.

“This isn’t a snow day where you’re waiting for the sun to shine and the world to return, because the world we have lived in for so long in many ways is never coming back,” says Jamie Metzl, technology futurist and co-founder of OneSharedWorld, an online group that promotes a globally interconnected response to the pandemic.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for the country, the world and our species,” says Metzl. “Everyone has a role to play to build back something better than what is being destroyed.”

As this tenuous rebuilding phase unfolds, the USA TODAY Network took a deep dive into a dozen societal sectors to get a sense of how things might one day look.

(Opinion) After COVID-19, we'll move forward, not go "back to normal."

What else we're talking about

George Floyd's death has caused hundreds of protesters to take over the streets all over the U.S. including Minneapolis, Memphis and Los Angeles.
George Floyd's death has caused hundreds of protesters to take over the streets all over the U.S. including Minneapolis, Memphis and Los Angeles.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered in downtown L.A. on Wednesday as part of a series of national protests to show outrage over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground.

Aera Energy withdraws plans to significantly expand cyclic steam injection operations in Santa Barbara County. Environmental groups opposed to the project celebrated, having argued the project's potential impacts included oil spills, heavy greenhouse gas emissions, grading of sensitive habitat and truck traffic.

Making testing and contract tracing truly effective will take more of an effort, particularly in hard-to-reach Latino and black communities, public health experts say.

Facebook helped divide and polarize but changing that could disproportionately affect conservatives and might hurt engagement, an internal company report made public by the Wall Street Journal revealed.

In a huge win for transparency, the state Supreme Court ruled that government agencies cannot charge for redacting exempt materials from public records.

In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Los Angeles Times, The Verge, Santa Barbara Independent, Riverside Press-Enterprise, Sacramento Bee, CalMatters.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California, budget, Aldi, pandemic, Aera Energy, Facebook: Thurs news