California Governor Seeks Medi-Cal Cuts, "Leeway" For Schools

The Los Angeles Times (2/25, York, 630K) reports Gov. Jerry Brown "delivered a message to the Obama administration this week in Washington: Back off." Brown "wants the federal government to let him make more cuts in the Medi-Cal program that serves low-income Californians and to exempt state schools from new sanctions that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Brown said he raised the issues in a White House meeting with President Obama and 11 other Democratic governors Friday morning and in a private meeting with Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday. Brown told reporters at the White House on Friday that he was asking for 'greater flexibility so that we can cut the Medi-Cal program where we need to and...flexibility on some of the federal restrictions on our education programs.'"