The Assembly´s new Democratic leader says his agenda does not include tax hikes to deal with the state´s budget problems.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez says October´s recall election was a wake-up call for him and others to look at things differently.

The new Democratic agenda doesn´t necessarily call for raising taxes, Nunez told “The Sacramento Bee.” He says lawmakers need to look for other solutions before they call for tax hikes. People need to see that cuts are real before the Legislature moves forward with other ways of bringing in revenue, he says.

But other Assembly Democrats still think tax increases are necessary — to prevent cuts that would devastate social services. Nunez was sworn in as the Assembly´s top Democrat Monday.