CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK (CDCAN)
CAPITOL NEWS REPORT #015-2005   www.cdcan.us 
February 2, 2005 - Wednesday
Linking people to disability rights and unified action

STATE BUDGET UPDATE
* Senate Budget Subcommittee Members Appointed
* Important Info Hearings on Budget Scheduled 2/10 and 2/17
* Hearings focus on Medi-Cal, & Impact on Seniors

SACRAMENTO  -  Complete membership of the five Senate Budget and Fiscal Review subcommittees, including the budget subcommittee that will focus on the Governor's proposals impacting people with developmental and other disabilities and seniors were announced - with informational hearings scheduled beginning next week by both houses.  No actions will be taken in these hearing, however two of the informational hearings are particularly important to people with developmental and other disabilities, seniors, people with traumatic brain, spinal and other injuries. The first is set for Feb 10 by the Assembly focusing on the Governor's budget proposal's impact on seniors, and the second is scheduled for Feb 17 by the Senate looking at the Medi-Cal Redesign proposal.

The Assembly Budget subcommittee memberships were made earlier in January by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles). Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) previously announced chairs of all the policy committees - and the chairs of the budget subcommittees.

Membership of Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 on Education
Democrats (2): Jack Scott, Chair (D-Altadena, 21st District) and Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto, 11th District)
Republican (1): Bob Margett (R-Arcadia, 29th District)
How This Subcommittee Impacts People With Disabilities/Seniors: Focus is on all education budget issues, but also includes budget issues impacting special education and adult education programs that serve people with developmental disabilities and seniors.

Membershp of Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services
Democrats (2): Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego, 40th District) and Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch, 7th District)
Republican (1): George Runner (R-Lancaster, 17th District)
Changes: None of the 3 members served on this subcommittee before - though all three members are long time legislative veterans.  The subcommittee was broken up this year, so labor and veteran affairs are now handled by the new Senate Budget Subcommittee #5 - which should allow for more focus on health and human services issues this year.  Ducheny replaces Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata, 2nd District), who still chairs the full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Torlakson replaces Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento, 6th District) and Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles, 22nd District), while Runner replaces Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks, 19th District)
How This Subcommittee Impacts People with Disabilities/Seniors: very critical subcommittee, and along with its counterpart in the Assembly (Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services) covers nearly all the major programs, services impacting people with disabilities and seniors, including In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, Medi-Cal, regional center funded services, developmental centers, mental health, rehabilitation and vocational programs, independent living centers, adult day health centers and other aging programs.

INFORMATIONAL BUDGET HEARINGS SCHEDULED
* The following informational budget hearings have been scheduled that have a focus or impact on people with disabilities and seniors.
* No action will be taken at these informational hearings - and public testimony will limited, if even allowed.  The budget subcommittees won't hold hearings taking general public testimony and reviewing specific budget proposals and taking initial tentative action until March and April.
* Final actions on the budget won't take place until after the Governor releases his revisions to his proposed budget, in mid-May.

Feb. 8, 2005 - Tuesday
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #2 on Education Finance
10:30 AM  State Capitol - Room 444
What is scheduled:  information not available, but this hearing is not likely to focus on special education or adult education programs, but more likely on the Governor's proposals impacting education finance.

Feb 9, 2005 - Wednesday
Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee
09:00 AM  State Capitol - Room 126
What is scheduled: While not a budget committee, this is an informational hearing on housing finance and land use.  Though people with disabilities and seniors are not the specific focus - the issue of affordable and accessible housing is considered by many advocates as very critical, including implementation of the 1999 US Supreme Court Olmstead Decision.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5 on Transportation
10:00 AM  State Capitol - Room 127
What is scheduled: informational budget hearing on "California's neglected transportation system".  Though people with disabilities and seniors are not the focus of this hearing - the issue of accessible public transportation is considered by many advocates as a critical issue to community-based services and living and implementation of the 1999 US Supreme Court Olmstead Decision.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee #4 on State Administration
1:30 PM  State Capitol - Room 437
What is scheduled: informational budget hearing on Department of Corrections - "Bring Corrections Under Control".  While this budget issue doesn't directly impact people with disabilities and seniors - the cost of the corrections budget does impact the state general fund, which in turn impacts funding for health and human services.  In addition, several thousands of people in the correctional system have developmental disabilities, or other disabilities or mental health needs.

Senate Rules Committee
1:30 PM  State Capitol - Room 113
What Is Scheduled: Confirmation hearing of four appointees of the Governor, including Tom Campbell, director of Department of Finance.
Note: though not a budget hearing, the director of the Department of Finance, is the Governor's chief fiscal advisor and is responsible for putting together the Governor's proposed budget and presenting it to the Legislature.

Feb 10, 2005 - Thursday
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
1:30 PM  State Capitol - Room 4202
What is scheduled: Informational budget oversight hearing on the subject of "California Seniors - are we meeting our obligation?"  which will include a panel.  Hearing will focus on the impact of the Governor's proposals on seniors, and also some related impacts to people with disabilities.

Feb 17, 2005 - Thursday
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services
[meets upon adjournment of the Senate Floor session]  State Capitol - Room 4203
What Is Scheduled: Informational hearing on Governor's proposed Medi-Cal redesign proposal, focusing on the hospital financing; shifting people, including people with developmental and other disabilities and seniors into managed care plans; share of cost or premiums.  Panel discussions and limited public comment

SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEES
In addition, membership was also announced for a subcommittee under the Senate Health Committee and the Senate Human Services Committee, which was divided this year.  None of the subcommittees normally hear and vote on bills - but examine the issues raised by legislation or look more closely at other policy issues.  It wasn't clear however which subcommittee is reporting to which main committee (Senate Health or Senate Human Services, though presumably Aging and Long Term Care, and Mental Health will fall under Human Services, and Stem Cell Research and Medicine and Health Care under the Senate Health Committee).

Subcommittee on Aging and Long Term Care
Democrats (3): Elaine Alquist, subcommittee chair  (D-San Jose, 13th District), Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica, 23rd District) and Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento, 6th District)
Republican (1): Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks, 1st District)
How This Impacts People with Disabilities & Seniors: This is the counterpart to the Assembly Aging and Long Term Care Committee, which is actually a policy committee that hears and reports out bills.  Alquist, a first term senator, previously served 6 years in the Assembly and authored many bills related to seniors.

Sen. Ortiz is currently named as chair for the Subcommittee on Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Subcommittee on Medicine and Health Care, and the Subcommittee on Stem Cell Research Oversight. No members have been announced for any of those subcommittees yet and the subcommittee chairs could change.
 

CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED TO CONTINUE EFFORT CAN CONTRIBUTE VIA NON-PROFIT 501(c)3  see below
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.  Contributions from people and organizations is very urgently needed to keep the advocacy efforts going for the next several months, as we work to establish non-profit status which we are working on.. Apologies to anyone who have not yet received a thank you - email, letters, calls have been overwhelming!  Your help is needed though to keep the effort going in 2005.
Please make check or money order  to:  California Disability Community Action Network  (or abbreviate CDCAN) OR, if for tax deduction purposes, you can make the check out to TTSR (Training Toward Self Reliance), which is a 501C-3 non-profit organization, and indicate on check that contribution is for support for "CDCAN".
A method to contribute by credit card (through Paypal) is NOW set up on our website, at www.cdcan.us  [new site address]  Send contributions to: California Disability Community Action Network (see below for mailing address)
* How To Receive CDCAN Capitol News Reports and Alerts
The California Disability Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain and other injures, seniors and 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.   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 NEW CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us   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  New WEBSITE address:  www.cdcan.us 
1225 8th Street Suite 480 Sacramento, CA 95814   VOICE PHONE: 916/446-0013
FAX number: 916/446-0026        email: martyomoto@rcip.com