SACRAMENTO – At the Assembly Democratic Policy Summit at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles), Speaker-elect Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), Democratic Caucus Chair Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), and Budget Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today offered an update to reporters on the Democratic perspective on the budget situation. Audio is below.

"None of us believe that the way to solve the budget problem is by bringing an axe and saying we're going to make a deep cut all the way through the budget," Speaker Núñez said. "Instead, we believe that what it requires is a surgical knife. A surgical knife that looks through each and every budget item, studies and assesses what the impact is on Californians, and then makes a determination as to whether or not that particular cut is to be made or not."

"We chose deliberately to meet at a public institution – an outstanding public institution of higher education that also provides health care and takes care of the poorest of the people of the state of California – and that in part reflects a lot of the priorities that I think we as Democrats in the Assembly hold," Democratic Caucus Chair Evans added.

Speaker Fabian Núñez says the Governor's across the board, cuts only, budget proposal should be replaced with a more refined plan. (:32)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetNunez1.mp3

Speaker Fabian Núñez says fixing the state's budget problem will require a balanced approach. (:14)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetNunez2.mp3

Speaker Fabian Núñez says closing tax loopholes and targeted revenue enhancements should be part of the budget solution. (:19)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetNunez3.mp3

Speaker Fabian Núñez says eliminating waste and inefficiency in government will not fix the state's growing deficit. (:18)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetNunez4.mp3

Speaker Fabian Núñez's opening statement to the media regarding the budget discussions ongoing at the annual Assembly Democrats Policy Summit. (3:52)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetNunez.mp3

Speaker-elect Karen Bass' opening statement to the media regarding the budget discussions ongoing at the annual Assembly Democrats Policy Summit. (:52)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetBass.mp3

Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird's opening statement to the media regarding the budget discussions ongoing at the annual Assembly Democrats Policy Summit. (1:41)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetLaird.mp3

Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Noreen Evans' opening statement to the media regarding the budget discussions ongoing at the annual Assembly Democrats Policy Summit. (:59)
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20080327BudgetEvans.mp3