Republican lawmakers of California laid out their budget plans on Saturday which propose wider spending cuts and borrowing against lottery funds to tide over the $15.2 billion-plus deficit in state budget.

California’s Republican legislators released their own plans in response to criticism from Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat lawmakers that they have been repeatedly stalled the passing of the state budget without offering viable alternatives to close the state’s huge budget deficit.

The plans laid out by state Republicans advocate borrowing $2 billion from future lottery revenue and tapping the $350 million unused fund from redevelopment agencies. They favor an additional $1.5 billion spending cuts to what the Governor has already proposed.

Other GOP measures to close the state deficit without raising taxes include doing away with health care benefits for illegal immigrants and legal immigrants residing here for less than five years , in-home support services for the aged and disabled as well as stopping payment to counties for child welfare.

The Republican proposals immediately encountered criticism from Democrat lawmakers on grounds that further spending cuts would severely harm education and health services for poor besides increasing the deficit burden in the future. The state budget of California is yet to be passed and is more than 60 days late.