SACRAMENTO (KCBS) - Governor-elect Jerry Brown's willingness to raise taxes to combat future deficits set the stage for discussions planned Thursday on the outgoing executive's proposal to stem California's cash shortfall with even more cuts.

The debate over whether to tax broke out at a summit with lawmakers in Sacramento Wednesday where Brown seemed to be laying the groundwork for another set of ballot initiatives to balance the state's books. Brown insisted he was just laying out the hard numbers of a $28 billion spending gap.

KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:

State Senator Mark Leno already sees a special election this spring in the works, he said, where voters might be asked to consider at least extending temporary tax hikes put in place two years ago.

"Maybe for two years, maybe for four years," he said. "We could mitigate about $8.4 billion in damage."

Republicans won't go for that, and neither will voters, warned the new Assembly Minority Leader, Connie Conway of Tulare.

"Every fee, every tax, the taxpayers have spoken loudly. No mas, so to speak," she said.

Conway said a special election would be a repeat defeat of 2009, noting that even a measure to save state parks failed in November.

Governor-elect Brown is planning to hold another forum Dec. 14 in Los Angeles to focus on education spending.

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