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Action Needed on State Budget Proposal
TO: CLA MEMBERS/ SYSTEMS/ NETWORK CONTACTS
FROM: Mike Dillon, CLA Lobbyist, Christina Dillon, CLA Lobbyist
RE: News From the Capitol
After a lengthy debate yesterday afternoon, the Senate rejected the so-called "Senate Republican Proposal" that we alerted you to on September 3. As you will recall, the Senate Republican Proposal recommends reductions to five library programs, and the total elimination/"suspension" of the California Library Literacy Service program. The Senate Republican Proposal was amended yesterday into AB 1793, so that the Senate members could have a legislative vehicle to work from during their Floor debate. Calling it their response to the Governor's August Plan, Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill said their proposal was a way to balance the Budget without a tax increase.
One by one, Republican Senators rose to argue against tax increases, while Democrat Senators blasted the plan for its impact on K-12 school funding and health and human services. Senate Budget Committee Vice Chair, Republican Bob Dutton, oddly called it a "get out of town Budget," a term often used when there are no other options available and the legislature resorts to borrowing and other Budget schemes. Senator Jack Scott, the Chair of the Senate Education Committee stated, "You are right about this being a get out of town Budget, but I don't want to burn down half of the town on the way out." At the close of debate, a visibly frustrated Senate President pro Tem, Don Perata, stated, "I am no closer to knowing what (Republicans)want than three months ago. I'm done guessing!" The final speaker, Senator Cogdill, finished with his pronouncement, "As a caucus, we continue to be united that taxes are not a solution."
When the vote was taken, all of the Democrats present voted no and all of the Republicans present voted aye. Members not voting were Senators Ashburn (Republican), Maldonado (Republican), Negrete McLeod (Democrat), Cedillo (Democrat), and Vincent (Democrat). We believe some of the Democrats "not voting" may have been absent from session. The final vote was 13 "ayes" to 21 "noes."
In the Assembly yesterday, the body met for 10 minutes for the purpose of amending SB 1072. The bill will now contain the so-called Governor's August Compromise, which includes a temporary one-cent sales tax proposal, among other things. While it was anticipated that the Assembly would meet this morning at 10 a.m. to take up the Governor's Plan, we received word that the Governor is meeting today, separately, with both the Assembly Democrats as well as the Assembly Republicans. It is thought that perhaps the Assembly decided to postpone action on the Governor's measure until they had time to fully vet his bill with him today in closed-door sessions.
In the meantime, the Assembly wasted no time in amending SB 1087 and incorporating the Senate Republican Proposal into the bill so that they could take it up on the Assembly Floor around 11:30 a.m. today. Republican, Assemblyman Roger Niello, the Vice Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, rose to present the bill, and called it a "compromise Budget. We are happy to continue to negotiate this." Similar to the response in the Senate, the Assembly Democrats were strongly opposed to the proposal, with members calling the intended cuts to education extreme, or noting that the plan proposes painful elimination of services for child abuse prevention and elder abuse. At the close of debate, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass noted, "We are over 70 days without a Budget. We have got to end this blockade...The Budget before you is unacceptable." The bill failed on a vote of 27 to 45.
Immediately after the Senate Republican Proposal failed, Assemblyman Blakeslee made a motion to call for the Assembly to bring the Governor's Budget up on the Floor. That motion failed, due to Democrat opposition. Then, Assemblyman Guy Houston moved that the Assembly should bring up for a vote a stop-gap measure that would allow the state to pay some struggling state vendors during this Budget stalemate. That motion also failed due to Democratic opposition.
While the Senate Republican proposal has failed in both houses, we still believe it is critical to keep the calls, faxes and letters coming in opposition to the library and literacy cuts. Since this is a fluid Budget process, with most of the discussions occurring behind closed doors, it is important to continue to raise our objections to the library language in the Senate Proposal. Your messages are definitely being heard at the Capitol. This morning's Vacaville Reporter features a story entitled, "Budget Plan May Hurt Illiterate." The piece notes, at the end, that Assembly Speaker Karen Bass' office was contacted for the story and her spokesperson, Steven Maviglio states, "The legislative Republicans are so extreme that they are taking no prisoners and calling for massive cuts for just about every service the state offers. This is another example of a penny-wise and pound-foolish cut that's cruel and ineffective."
The Assembly will meet again tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. There is a rumor that there may be interest in an old-fashioned "lock in" of legislators toward the end of this week, if there is no resolution on the horizon. Thus, please keep your calls and faxes coming to the members of the legislative "Big 5" and the two Budget Chairs:
Senate President pro Tem, Don Perata: (916) 651-4009 (phone)
(916) 327-1997 (fax)
Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill: (916) 651-4010 (phone)
(916) 327-3523 (fax)
Senate Budget Chair, Denise Ducheny: (916) 651-4040 (phone)
(916) 327-3522 (fax)
Assembly Speaker, Karen Bass (916) 319-2047 (phone)
(916) 319-2147 (fax)
Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines (916) 319-2029 (phone)
(916) 319-2129 (fax)
Assembly Budget Chair, John Laird (916) 319-2027 (phone)
(916) 319-2127 (fax)
Thank you for your help!
Posted on September 9, 2008 4:26 PM | Permalink