CDCAN REPORT #040-2011: Full Senate and Assembly budget committees scheduled to meet to begin taking final action

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY FULL BUDGET COMMITTEES SET TO MEET THIS WEEK TO BEGIN TAKING ACTION ON GOVERNOR’S MAJOR PROPOSED REDUCTIONS

• No Public Testimony Will Be Taken Because Issues Previously Heard
• Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee To Meet Wednesday on Medi-Cal, Healthy Families - Thursday on Human Services, Other Health Programs  - Friday on Revenues, Redevelopment, Education, Realignment  
• Assembly Budget Committee Set To Meet Friday

SACRAMENTO, CALIF  (CDCAN) [Updated 02/14/2011 – 08:10 PM  (Pacific Time)] – With opposition and protests mounting on several of Governor Jerry Brown’s spending reductions – including those to people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors and low income families – the full budget committees of the Legislature moves forward this week with hearings, starting on Wednesday, to begin taking final action on the Governor’s budget proposals heard in budget subcommittee public hearings the past 3 weeks.   No further public testimony will be taken because the issues have been previously heard with public comment taken.

The Legislature and Governor are seeking to close a budget gap of over $25 billion projected through June 30, 2012 – with projected budget deficits of over $20 billion every year through at least 2016 unless permanent action is taken to cut spending, raise revenues or a combination of both.

In a sign of growing concern and opposition to the Governor’s proposed cuts to health and human services, last week on February 10th, well over 1,000 people with disabilities, families, community organizations, regional centers and others filled to capacity the Senate hearing rooms, overflow rooms and hallways to testify at a budget subcommittee on the Governor’s proposed cuts to regional centers and developmental services.  A similar sized crowd filled to capacity, including overflow rooms on several floors, the Assembly budget subcommittee on February 3rd when it heard those same budget issues.

Full Senate Budget Committee Set To Meet 3 Times This Week

The full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, chaired by Sen. Mark Leno (Democrat – San Francisco, 3rd State Senate District) is scheduled to meet this week on (all at the State Capitol in Room 4203 and televised and webcasted live on CalChannel) (Note: the Wednesday and Thursday hearings were previously announced last week and reported in previous CDCAN Reports – the Friday hearing is new):

• Feb 16 (Wed) at 1:00 PM  covering Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Resources, Transportation and General Government proposals by the Governor
• Feb 17 (Thu) at 09:00 AM  covering human services (could include In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, Adult Protective Services, Child Welfare Services), Other Health Programs (could include developmental services and any remaining Medi-Cal issues); Public Safety; and Higher Education proposals by the Governor.
• Feb 18 (Fri) at 09:30 AM (or whenever the Senate floor session adjourns – probably close to that time), covering revenues, redevelopment, realignment, education (K-12) and other “open” issues.

Assembly Budget Panel Set To Meet Once This Week on Friday

The Assembly Budget Committee, chaired by Assemblymember Bob Bluumenfield (Democrat – Van Nuys, 40th Assembly District), has so far scheduled only one hearing this week, at the State Capitol in Room 4202 and also televised and webcasted live on CalChannel (this hearing was announced last week and reported previously by CDCAN last week):

Feb 18 (Fri) – Possibly at 09:30 AM or 10:00 AM (or whenever the Assembly floor session adjourns).  There is no agenda items yet announced.

Detailed agendas for each of the hearings will likely be released the day before the scheduled hearings (and CDCAN will release when available).

NEXT STEPS

NO MAJOR ACTION YET FROM EITHER HOUSE

• As of February 14th, both the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees completed their subcommittee budget hearings on all of the Governor’s major proposed reductions in hearings that began the week of January 24th and ended last week on February 10th, including taking in public comment.
• All of the Governor’s major proposals have been kept “open” for later action.

WHEN WILL LEGISLATURE TAKE FINAL ACTION

• As reported, the full budget committees in both houses have scheduled hearings this week (see above for details) to begin closing many “open” budget items.
• This process could continue a day or two into next week after the three day weekend (President’s Day Holiday).  Beyond that, the process and timing is not certain at this point.
• Those items not closed (final action taken) or those items where the Senate and Assembly took different action will likely then go to a budget conference committee (which would be chaired by Assemblymember Blumenfield this year) – and then for a final vote by the entire Assembly and Senate.
• It is not certain yet when a final vote by both the full Assembly and State Senate will take place – though the Governor wants the Legislature to send him a budget bill and budget trailer bills by March.

BUDGET PROCESS ON FAST TRACK

• As previously reported, the Governor and Legislature – at the Governor’s urging – have put his proposed 2011-2012 State Budget spending plan on a fast track, to take action on his major proposals before March 1st. 
• The normal State budget process takes months – with subcommittee hearings normally spread out from February to May. 
• Governor has urged the Legislature to move quickly because a key part of his plan is to place on a special election ballot in June for voter approval his proposal to extend for five years temporary tax increases that are scheduled to expire this year. 
• The Governor also wants quick action on his spending reduction proposals in order for the State to be able to move to implement them by July 1st – and in some cases, within a few months – in order to achieve the greatest savings in State general funding from the cuts.

MORE BUDGET HEARINGS LIKELY IN MAY OR JUNE

• While last week was likely the final time for public comment at a budget subcommittee or full budget committee hearing (people can still contact their own legislators or write letters to members) before the Legislature takes final action on the Governor’s proposals, there will likely be additional budget hearings in May or early June. 
• Those hearings – which will likely take public comment – will likely hear  whatever details the Brown Administration submits to the Legislature on how it plans to achieve whatever reduction amount is targeted for regional centers and other developmental services. 
• Other issues – possibly In-Home Supportive Services – might come up for hearing at that time as further details on various proposals become available.