SACRAMENTO - Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare, issued the following statement in response to today's announcement by Governor Brown that he will seek to place a package of $35 billion in tax increases over 5 years before the voters:

"Governor Brown is once again relying on his failed budget playbook in proposing a massive $35 billion tax increase on hard-working Californians and job creators.  Voters rejected similar tax increases in the past and have shown a strong reluctance in polls to accepting higher taxes to bailout Sacramento.  Ironically, Sacramento Democrats are again proposing higher taxes at a time when Washington Democrats are suggesting a tax increase on families could plunge the country back into recession. 

"Despite their rhetoric, it is clear that our state's projected $13 billion budget shortfall is not the result of a lack of revenue, but rather that Democrats want to grow government spending by $10 billion next year.  The majority party's budget priorities are clear - sock working families with a painful tax increase to pay for more health and welfare spending and unsustainable public employee pensions, while education continues to take a massive hit.  Assembly Republicans will again stand united as the last line of defense for taxpayers and will fight these reckless taxes every step of the way."