Ever since the state”s new fiscal year began on July 1, there has been a steady drumbeat of stories in California newspapers hammering home the point that we have yet to wrap up work on a plan for state spending.
And while I”d like to be able to report that calm is about to be restored inside the halls of the Capitol, odds are that by the time you read this, we”ll be no closer to a final agreement than we were about three weeks ago, when the Assembly passed its version of a state budget and sent it to the Senate for concurrence.
The plan approved by a bi-partisan vote of the Assembly also has the support of our Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite some misgivings, I have voted to approve that budget, as have all 24 of my Democratic colleagues along with a single Republican Senator, Abel Maldonado.
That means 26 out of 40 Senators have also voted in favor of the budget, a clear majority. But in California, 27 votes are need to pass a budget in the Senate, meaning we”re still one vote short of enacting a plan for funding programs and services that the people of California depend on.
Budgets are almost always about compromise, and Democrats in the Assembly made numerous concessions on spending and policy to forge an agreement with their Republican counterparts. In the spirit of compromise, 26 of us in the Senate agreed to these same cuts, even though they will have real impacts on real people across the state.
In casting his “aye” vote, Senator Maldonado described the plan as “fiscally responsible,” and he called on his colleagues to finalize the budget so that we could move forward with the rest of the work that the people have elected us to do.
Unfortunately, his message, not to mention similar pleas from Governor Schwarzenegger, has apparently fallen on deaf ears. The rest of the Senate”s Republican Caucus continues to hold out for deeper cuts to social programs, as well as changes to California”s strong environmental laws which have nothing to do with the state budget.
As noted by State Controller John Chiang and others, the ongoing stalemate is having a ripple effect across the entire state. Chiang reports that since July 1, over $1 billion in funding for vital programs and services has gone unpaid. That shortfall impacts hospitals nursing homes, community colleges, school districts, child development centers, pre-schools and important transportation projects.
Community-based health clinics are heavily dependent on reimbursements through Medi-Cal, which means they are particularly vulnerable to delays in funding which provides so much of their weekly cash flow.
I agree with Senator Maldonado that the budget passed by the Assembly, and supported by a clear majority in the Senate, is fiscally responsible. It contains no new taxes or fees, creates no new social programs, and it would boost the state”s reserve to $3.4 billion, $1.2 billion.
Senate Republicans are demanding another $700 million cuts beyond what has been on the table, but even a pledge from the Governor to veto that same amount from the budget failed to convince them to cast any additional votes for the plan.
On August 1, Schwarzenegger issued a statement saying that “There is no reason the people of California should be forced to go a single day longer without a budget.” I agree with the Governor as well. It”s past time for us to pass a budget and get back to work on other important matters, including health care reform.
Patricia Wiggins (D ? Santa Rosa) represents California”s 2nd State Senate District, which includes parts or all of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano & Sonoma Counties.
