August 12, 2004
| TO: | CLA Members/ Systems/ Network Contacts |
| FROM: | Mike Dillon, Lobbyist Christina Dillon, Lobbyist |
| RE: | NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL |
I. LIBRARY BOND BILL HEADS TO ASSEMBLY FLOOR - ACTION NEEDED
This morning, the Assembly Appropriations Committee took up hundreds of items on their so-called "suspense file." You may recall that the "suspense file" is the method by which the committee prioritizes bills totaling $150,000 or greater, and ultimately determines if they will be passed and sent to the Floor, or remain with the committee indefinitely. One of the items on the "suspense file," was SB 1161 by Senator Dede Alpert, the library construction and renovation bond. Sponsored by CLA, the bill would provide $1 billion in general obligation bonds for the construction and renovation of libraries, if approved by the voters on the March 2006 ballot. When SB 1161 was taken up this morning, Assembly Appropriations Chair, Judy Chu, announced that the bill would be sent to the Assembly Floor for action "with amendments to lessen the amount for the bond from $1 billion down to $600 million." The $600 million figure was the result of an agreement reached between Chairwoman Chu, and Senator Alpert, who is the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. When the vote was taken to send the bill to the Assembly Floor, all Democrats voted "aye," as did two Republicans - Vice Chair, Sharon Runner, and Assemblywoman Pat Bates.
During a meeting we had in June with the Governor's Chief of Staff, the Governor's Secretary for Legislation, and Senator Alpert, they suggested that we meet with the Deputy Director of Finance, to ascertain the state's bonded indebtedness capacity. On Monday, that meeting was held, and we presented the extensive needs assessment data and spoke about the need to address the huge backlog in library construction. Currently, the Department of Finance has an "oppose" position on SB 1161, and we spent a great deal of the meeting addressing some of the concerns that Finance had raised in its bill analysis. In the end, the big concerns raised by DOF are: 1) Can the state afford another bond bill, with its current bonded indebtedness commitments and state's downgraded credit status?, 2) Is there a way that the bond could be sold so as to lessen the impact on the state's General Fund?, 3) Will the Administration ultimately support the bond bill? While the DOF was non-committal and did not give us any indication if they would be willing to change their "opposition" position on SB 1161 to "support" or "neutral," we were pleased that they ultimately made a commitment to "run the numbers" and explore the possibilities.
SB 1161-Alpert will likely be considered on the Assembly Floor some time after Monday of next week. Please take a moment today and contact your individual Assemblymember and encourage their strong support for SB 1161. If your Assemblymember is a co-author on the bond bill, thank them for their past support (Assemblymembers Ellen Corbett, Mark Leno, Joe Nation, and Lois Wolk.) If your Assemblymember is Assembly Appropriations Vice Chair, Sharon Runner, or Assemblywoman Patricia Bates, please thank them for their important Republican "aye" vote in Appropriations Committee today. Republicans will be key in getting SB 1161 off of the Assembly Floor, as the bill requires a 2/3rds vote of the Assembly. If your individual Republican legislator is listed below, please take a moment today to contact him or her via phone, e-mail, or letter. Please inform them of: 1) the tremendous need in their district, 2) the fact that all projects require a 35% local match, 3) the bond bill is a job growth measure and helps to stimulate the economy, 4) if you are a Cycle 3 grant applicant, let them know how this bond will afford a priority to Cycle 3 applicants, 5) lastly, impart how libraries are providing excellent after school programs for children, in the spirit of Governor Schwarzenegger's focus on after school programs for youth.
ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS
Greg Aghazarian (916) 319-2026
Patricia Bates (916) 319-2073 supported the bond in Appropriations
John Benoit (916) 319-2064
Russ Bogh (916) 319-2065
John Campbell (916) 319-2070
Dave Cogdill (916) 319-2025
Dave Cox (916) 319-2005
Lynn Daucher (916) 319-2072
Bob Dutton (916) 319-2063
Bonnie Garcia (916) 319-2080 supported the bond in Loc. Gov't Comm.
Tom Harman (916) 319-2067
Ray Haynes (916) 319-2066
Shirley Horton (916) 319-2078
Guy Houston (916) 319-2015
Rick Keene (916) 319-2003
Doug LaMalfa (916) 319-2002
Jay La Suer (916) 319-2077
Tim Leslie (916) 319-2004
Ken Maddox (916) 319-2068
Abel Maldonado (916) 319-2033
Bill Maze (916) 319-2034
Kevin McCarthy (916) 319-2032 Republican Leader
Dennis Mountjoy (916) 319-2059
Dr. Alan Nakanishi (916) 319-2010
Robert Pacheco (916) 319-2060
George Plescia (916) 319-2075
Dr. Keith Richman (916) 319-2038
Sharon Runner (916) 319-2036 supported the bond in Appropriations
Steve Samuelian (916) 319-2029
Todd Spitzer (916) 319-2071
Tony Strickland (916) 319-2037
Mark Wyland (916) 319-2074
II. TELECONNECT ISSUE REVIVED - BILL PASSES APPROPRIATIONS
You may recall from our recent memo to you that the California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) program was in jeopardy. In May, the Senate Budget Subcommittee increased expenditure authority for the CTF to cover projected program costs in the Budget year, using revenues from an increase in the CTF surcharge on telephone users. Assembly Republicans, during Budget negotiations, asked that this language be removed, arguing that the telephone surcharge of a few pennies was a "tax," and they were opposing any new taxes. Thus, the Budget did not contain any funding for the Teleconnect. Over the last few weeks, representatives from the education community, CBO's, the phone companies, legislative staff, and CLA, have been involved in a series of calls, meetings, and e-mails to find a way to craft last-minute language to incorporate into a bill. There has been confusion over whether or not language is needed to authorize the PUC to spend $17.9 million in telecommunications discounts in 2004-05. To insure that there is no more confusion relative to the authority, Senator Bowen has been gracious enough to amend her SB 1276, while on the Assembly Appropriations "suspense file" to contain authority for the PUC to fund $17.9 million for discount applications for the CTF. Senator Bowen is joined in this endeavor by co-author, Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh. Both Bowen and Firebaugh's key staffers on SB 1276, have been instrumental in keeping the issue alive.
Today, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed SB 1276-Bowen/Firebaugh from committee. It is now headed to the Assembly Floor for action next week.