At last...a state budget

California lawmakers ended the nation's longest budget impasse Tuesday, agreeing to a $145 billion spending plan that eliminates the state's persistent deficit and addresses the myriad concerns of holdout Republicans. Daily News wire services.

The deal emerged quickly after the Assembly and Senate failed to agree on a budget late Monday night and ends a stalemate that has lasted more than seven weeks beyond the start of the fiscal year.

It will free up billions of dollars in payments to a variety of social service agencies that rely on state funding, as well as to community colleges and some education programs