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Last night, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the budget on his desk just in time for the start of the 2012-13 fiscal year.

The budget parses a nearly $16 billion state deficit with major cuts to social services, particularly health care. The budget eliminates the Healthy Families program, shifting its nearly 900,000 low-income children into Medi-Cal. It also slashes Cal Grant scholarships for students enrolling in private colleges and schools with low graduation rates.

Brown is relying on voters to pass $8-plus billion in tax hikes in November; the measure's failure would automatically trigger even more cuts, most drastically for education.

Assemblyman Bill Monning (D-Carmel) blames conservatives who follow the Grover Norquist pledge for defeating budget proposals that would have raised more revenue.

"The Republicans who say we spend too much money took the hypocritical position to not vote on any of the cuts," he says. "We’ve minimized the impact to the most vulnerable in California. But that’s not to say there won’t impact."

The budget is effective this Sunday, July 1.

Sara Rubin contributed to this report.