The controversial tax and stimulus deal between President Obama and Congressional Republicans has one big potential loser: California state government.
Changes to the estate tax, sought by Republicans in the negotiations, would cost California billions (the $2.7 billion figure being used by some media organization is probably too high, for accounting reasons that are too complicated to go into here). Gov-elect Jerry Brown cited the changes in raising his estimate of the state's 18-month budget deficit to $28 billion from $25 billion.
More details on how this estate tax provision would work -- and how it would hurt California -- are here.