CA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION
NETWORK
CAPITOL NEWS REPORT - ISSUE
#117-2004
Linking people to disability rights and
unified action
Website:
www.cdcan.org Toll-free info Lines Up!
June 27, 2004 - Sunday evening
No Meeting of Budget Joint
Committee During Weekend - Budget Deal Near As Governor and Legislative
Leaders Continue Discussions After Making Progress in Sunday Evening
Closed Door Meeting
SACRAMENTO - Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and top legislative leaders in a Sunday evening (June 27)
closed door meeting moved another major step closer to a budget deal,
resolving a key budget issue relating to state employee pensions. The
Governor and the four Senate and Assembly legislative leaders - called the
"Big Five" still need to come to agreement on two other major budget
issues involving the Governor's previous deals to local government and its
funding, and higher education. Though progress is being made, it now
appears likely that the budget will not be passed before the end of the
budget year on June 30, due to the time for the full Legislature to review
and take final action - though passage is expected within "a few days" of
that deadline.
Summary of Developments This Weekend
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE - The budget joint
committee - called a "conference committee" did not meet during the
weekend, and will only convene when a budget deal is reached by the
Governor and legislative leaders. The conference committee, chaired by
Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata, 2nd District) has not met since June 10th.
STATE EMPLOYEE PENSION BENEFITS - The
Governor and legislative leaders agreed to reduce pension benefits to new
state workers for at two years - a plan that reportedly the California
State Employees Association agreed to. The plan would create a two tiered
pension system for new state workers and for existing state workers,
saving (or cutting from the new employee's point of view) the State $2.6
billion over 20 years.
BUDGET DEADLINE TO BE MISSED - Even though
the Governor and the legislative leaders - Senate President Pro Tem John
Burton (D-San Francisco, 3rd District), Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez
(D-Los Angeles, 46th District), Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman
(R-Irvine ) and Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield,
32nd District), are coming very close to a budget deal, with less than 3
days left before the end of the 2003-2004 budget year (June 30), it does
not appear possible now to pass a budget before that deadline. The
Governor and all four legislative leaders now expect to pass a budget
within a few days of the start of the new budget year, which begins on
July 1, Thursday, which would allow sufficient time for the budget
conference committee - and the full legislature to review and take final
action.
IMPACT OF DELAY TO PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES/SENIORS -
* Barring any unforeseen last minute
problems, the Governor and legislative leaders - and nearly every Capitol
observer believes a budget will be passed within a few days of the new
budget year, which begins July 1. Though that means a delay of a few days
into the new fiscal year - the delay itself will have almost no direct
impact to the services, supports and programs that children and adults
with developmental and other disabilities, including people with traumatic
brain injuries, and seniors receive. There should be no direct impact,
with a delay of several days, to any communty-based organizations,
including regional centers, independent living centers, or state operated
facilities.
* If unexpectedly the discussions with the
Governor and legislative leaders break down - considered unlikely - and a
stalemate develops for several weeks, then people with disabilities and
seniors would be impacted.
* There will be an impact however, once a
budget is signed, since most of the reductions or changes are effective as
of July 1, 2004 - especially for the "cost containment" measures that will
continue for community-based services for children and adults with
developmental disabilities, funded through the 21 regional centers. The
"Quality Assurance Initiative" for In-Home Supportive Services" would also
take effect during the new budget year.
* As previously reported, it is believed that
the budget will continue to include State support for wages for IHSS
workers - and also for county public authorities and public authority
advisory committees in exchange for the Quality Assurance Initiative and
possibly a wage increase freeze. In addition, the budget should also
continue to contain restored funding for the cost of living adjustments,
both state and federal, for SSI/SSP.
NEXT STEPS
NO DEADLOCK - Unlike in previous years,
barring a collapse in discussions - there isn't a deadlock within the
Legislature or with the Governor that held up passage of a budget in 2001,
2002 and 2003 - at least as of now there isn't.
BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE -
* The budget conference committee, which is
composed of a total of 6 members, 3 each from the Assembly and Senate and
is charged with only working out a solution to different actions taken by
both houses on a budget item - though in their final meeting they will
essentially "rubber stamp" what the leadership and Governor agreed to in
a single meeting, before turning over the budget and related bills over
to the full Assembly and Senate for final action.
* Normally the budget conference committee
meets to resolve the remaining outstanding issues where both houses took
different actions on a budget item. Those issues include In-Home
Supportive Services Quality Assurance Initiative and the budget related
legislative language establishing guidelines on how the IHSS Residual
Program is be implemented with new federal matching funds; Regional Center
operations budget reductions; transition planning for closure of Agnews
Developmental Center, and several special education issues
* The Legislative leadership could decide not
to hold another conference committee meeting, and simply amend the agreed
changes and revisions into the Assembly bills that contain the proposed
budget, for a final vote on the Assembly floor - and then for a final
vote on the Senate floor - and then to the Governor. In theory, that
process could happen in a single day.
GOVERNOR & POLITICS -
* The delay in passage of a budget before the
end of the budget year is seen by some as a setback for the Governor, who
pledged in his campaign last fall to change "business as usual" in
Sacramento, and promised on time budgets.
* Other observers however feel that if a
budget is passed within a few days of July 1 - and most participants
involved in budget negotiations feel that is likely - then there will be
little negative political fall-out for the Governor, who is likely to
claim it is still improvement when compared to budgets passed under
Governor Gray Davis.
* The Governor's California Performance
Review report is scheduled to come out on June 30th, which could have
major impact on programs that serve people with developmental and other
disabilities, people with traumatic brain injuries and seniors - though
its possible that report could be delayed until the budget is passed.
Another major proposal - the Medi-Cal Redesign/Reform proposal is
scheduled to be released to the Legislature on August 2 - though there are
some rumors that the release date might be postponed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CA
DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
* PLEASE! HELP NEEDED URGENTLY!
CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED TO CONTINUE EFFORT!
As of 6/27/04, many many,
thanks again, to the friends, people with disabilities and their
families, community organizations and others who have sent in generous and
needed contributions and donations. As mentioned before, individual thank
you letters are now being sent out (due to workload have been delayed!).
However, until grant funding is finalized, contributions from people and
organizations is still very urgently needed to keep the advocacy efforts
going for the next several months. Please make check or money order to:
California Disability Community Action Network (or abbreviate CDCAN).
CDCAN is not yet a non-profit organization but will be soon. Send
contributions to: California Disability Community Action Network, 1225
8th Street Suite #480, Sacramento, CA 95814. A method to contribute by
credit card (through Paypal) is NOW set up on our website, at
www.cdcan.org.
* Who Is CDCAN?
The California Disability
Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to thousands of
Californians with developmental and other disabilities, their families,
community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and
other advocates. These action alerts and news reports is for all of them.
In addition it also goes to news organizations, state and local government
officials and staff.
* How To Receive CDCAN
Capitol News Reports and Alerts
If you would like to get on this
distribution (and conversely, get off of it) please send an email with
that request to:
martyomoto@rcip.com OR sign up via the CDCAN website at
www.cdcan.org. Sharing
information is part of our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward
or copy this (attribution is nice). We're all in this together!
* How To Contact CDCAN
Marty Omoto, director/organizer
- California Disability Community Action Network WEBSITE:
www.cdcan.org
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814 VOICE PHONE: 916/446-0013
FAX number: 916/446-0026
email: martyomoto@rcip.com
INFO HOTLINE TOLL FREE NUMBER:
1-877-260-0267 (cannot leave messages) SAME INFO HOTLINE FOR SACRAMENTO
AREA: 486-4652
