Voters give thumbs up to Jerry Brown’s budget plan, poll finds

Gov. Jerry Brown enjoys solid support for his budget proposals, according to a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California in San Francisco.

Overall, 73% of likely voters said they liked the governor’s blueprint for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The budget plan is backed by 84% of Democrats, 62% of Republicans and 76% of voters without a party preference.

There’s also wide support for a rainy-day fund measure scheduled for the November ballot. Backed by Gov. Jerry Brown and Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature, the plan would set aside some money each year to build a reserve and to pay down debt and long-term liabilities such as pensions. Seventy-four percent of likely voters said they favored the proposal.

During this year’s budget negotiations, Brown is trying is trying to fend off calls from his fellow Democrats who would like to see more recession-era budget cuts reversed. Fifty-seven percent of likely voters said they would rather use surplus tax dollars to pay down debt and build a reserve, instead of restoring funding for social services.

Support for additional spending is strongest among Democrats and voters with a household income of less than $40,000.

Even though annual deficits have faded, Californians are not confident that the state budget is fixed -- 58% said it remains a big problem.

The poll was conducted May 8-15 over the phone with 1,702 California adults, including 901 who said they were likely to vote in the June 3 primary. The margin of error was given as plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.