Gov. Gray Davis will ask the Legislature for nearly $86 million to combat identity theft and other high-tech crimes in California, his aides said Sunday. The governor also will ask for more money for crime labs in the state, continued . . .
Gov. Gray Davis will ask the Legislature for nearly $86 million to combat identity theft and other high-tech crimes in California, his aides said Sunday. The governor also will ask for more money for crime labs in the state, continued support for hiring local police officers and more money for a juvenile crime prevention program started last year, according to the administration officials.

Davis is not scheduled to deliver his 2001-02 state budget proposal to the Legislature until Wednesday, but in recent days top administration officials have been outlining various aspects of it in advance for Capitol reporters. On Sunday, the officials discussed some of the anti-crime aspects of the new spending plan.

The Davis administration already has announced several major education initiatives that will be included in the new budget, including his call to increase the school year for middle-school grades by six weeks. Schools participating in the program would have to extend the school year for three grades, either the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, or the seventh, eighth and ninth grades, depending on how their middle schools are configured. Districts with middle schools composed of just the seventh and eighth grades still would be required to expand the school year for another grade, either the sixth or the ninth, at their other schools.