Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency today and called for a special session of the Legislature as part of his state budget proposal, a plan which predictably drew immediate support from Republicans, criticism from Democrats and protests from groups that advocate for the poor.

It’s the opening fiscal salvo in what promises to be a very difficult year in Sacramento as political leaders try to close a $14 billion budget gap. Republicans vow to do it without raising taxes, while Democrats say it’s time to look at new sources of money.

Click here to link to Schwarzenegger’s detailed press release about his proposal.

For the full Contra Costa Times story posted a few minutes ago, click here.

Several East Bay legislators have responded to the budget already, but expect to hear a great deal more as the potential impact of the massive state budget shortfall becomes more widely known.

Here’s Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier’s reaction:

Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, had this to say in a press release:

“The Governor has issued a serious call to the Legislature to control spending and reshape our State’s priorities. We cannot sustain a strong economy and a healthy state government if we don’t reduce the amount of money we spend.”

“I support putting a policy in place that helps to smooth out the peaks and the valleys of our spending. We are in this situation because we have made commitments that we cannot afford.”