Governor signs budget, vetoes millions

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed an overdue state budget, protecting education and public safety but vetoing $702million - mostly from social services - under pressure from Senate Republicans. Steve Geissenger and Harrison Sheppard in the Daily News.

The governor called it "a good budget," which also pays down California's debt and creates a $4.1billion emergency reserve fund. But many lawmakers, of both parties, were less enthusiastic.

Overall, Finance Department officials said the governor's latest 51 line-item vetoes from the 2007-08 spending year, which began July 1, totaled $527 million for health and human services.