The state brings in a budget on schedule for the first time in years.

California lawmakers approved a $131 billion budget for the state late Tuesday night. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the budget soon, before the end of the fiscal year, meaning the state’s spending plan will be in place by the July 1 deadline. It will be the first time that’s happened in six years.

The spending plan will pump billions of dollars into education, increasing school funding from $50 billion this year to $55 billion next year. It also cuts community college fees from $26 per unit to $20 per unit, and avoids tuition increases at University of California and California State University.

It pays more than $1.4 billion owed to transportation projects under Proposition 42, and pays $250 million for deferred maintenance projects at state parks.

It also sends $75 million into the state’s foster care program, provides $67 million to increase the income levels for subsidized child care, and pays $42 million for cost-of-living increases for the elderly, blind and disabled.

The on-time budget, approved by both the state Senate and Assembly, came after a compromise agreement was reached June 26 between legislative leaders and the governor.

The governor and Democrats agreed to remove $23 million that would have paid for healthcare for undocumented children—a sticking point with Republicans who refused to expand medical services for children whose parents are here illegally.

The governor has said he will work with Democrats on such a bill later this summer.

“As with any budget, there are certain things that some are not happy about,” said Central Coast Assemblyman John Laird, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee. “All things considered, this is a responsible, prudent and on-time budget of which all of us can be proud.”

The task of agreeing on a spending plan proved easier this year because of an upswing in tax revenue. More than $7.5 billion in unanticipated tax monies flooded state coffers, which meant that, unlike previous years, lawmakers could avoid making unpopular cuts.

Despite the increase in revenue, the 2006-07 budget will still have a structural deficit of $3.3 billion, a point of contention for some Republicans who voted against the spending plan.

“What happened to that novel idea of putting in a balanced budget, a budget that didn’t spend more than we take in?” asked Keith Richman, R-Northridge, speaking on the floor of the Assembly on June 27. “This legislature clearly has not had the political will to solve the fiscal problem that the state of California faces.”

Central Coast Republican Sen. Abel Maldonado also voted no on the budget plan. “I campaigned with Gov. Schwarzenegger, and let me share something with you,” Maldonado said. “He said politicians in Sacramento have an addiction to spending. He said they need an intervention. The Governor was right, this place is addicted to spending.”

Despite criticism from his own party, however, Schwarzenegger said he was pleased with the budget agreement—particularly the education spending.

“That is a record amount of money for education, and that means that we are expanding again preschool, putting arts, music and physical education back into our classrooms, and providing desperately needed counselors,” Schwarzenegger said. “This is a huge victory for both parties, for the Democrats and the Republicans, but especially this is a huge victory for the people of California.”