Environmentalists are blasting Governor Newsom for making climate change programs bear the brunt of the state’s projected budget deficit. To help balance the books, the governor wants to slash six billion dollars from climate and transportation spending in the next fiscal year

Newsom defends the cuts by saying the state will still spend 48 billion dollars over five years on climate initiatives, and that’s a lot, an unprecedented amount, so it makes more sense to trim that than cut other programs. He also hopes the federal government may make up the difference, and the legislature could always issue bonds to raise the necessary money. But the bottom line is the governor projects a 22 billion dollar deficit and he has to cut spending somewhere.

For more, KCBS Radio's Bret Burkhart, Patti Reising and Goug Sovern spoke to State Senator Josh Becker, Democrat from San Mateo, who is on the Senate Budget committee and chairs its subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy.