Assemblyman Leland Yee: Budget Revision: Right Direction?

As you are probably aware, the state of California is facing a $38 billion budget deficit: the worst in our history. As the deadline to approve a budget for the 2003-2004 fiscal year draws near, I am working long hours with my colleagues in Sacramento to put together a package of sensible cuts and revenue enhancements that will help lead California out of its devastating debt.

The governor's January budget proposal drew a great deal of criticism from Democrats in the state legislature and from a public concerned with the impacts of cuts on education, healthcare and local services they have come to depend on. The January budget proposed $13.7 billion in program reductions, $8.3 billion in the realignment of services to local governments and $8.3 billion in ongoing new taxes, which would support realignment. This budget proposal would have included deep reductions to Medi-Cal, reductions to CalWORKS and Supplemental Security Income and State Supplementary Payment cash grants, and large increases in community college enrollments fees, not to mention cuts to the University of California, California State Universities and K-12 education.

Needless to say, the citizens of California and the 12th Assembly District do not take kindly to the elimination of these important programs and services they are entitled to. You raised your voices in community groups and at school board meetings, you made visits to the Capitol, you wrote your elected officials - and the governor heard you.

In May, the governor released his revised budget proposal, commonly referred to as the May revision. While there are still areas that I do not agree with, I feel that this latest proposal is a small step in the right direction towards a budget that is fair and reasonable for all Californians. Programs vital to our children's education and our health, jobs and neighborhoods have been protected.

Where the January budget hit education hard, Democrats were able to reduce a good deal of the cuts in the May revision to more accurately reflect the priorities and best interests of our constituents. In education, Proposition 98 funding has been restored to its legal level, class size reduction will be protected and, although there are cuts proposed to certain categorical programs, the classroom itself will remain safe from cuts. In higher education, there will be a less drastic increase in community college fees and $305 million will be restored to community college funding.

In health and human services, Democrats were also able to restore Medi-Cal reimbursement levels for optional benefits, eliminate the proposal to reduce eligibility for certain low-income parents and increase efforts to investigate and prevent Medi-Cal fraud.

The May revision also reduces co-payments for AIDS drug assistance programs from what was proposed in the January budget and sets aside money to create a Public Health Response Team to address the bio-terrorism threat, SARS and other public health concerns. Additionally, the May revision rescinds the January proposal to reduce SSI, SSP and CalWORKS cash grants.

On a local level, Democrats took the advice of their constituents, who did not want to see large-scale realignment proposals affecting the quality of the city and county services they have come to depend on. Where the January budget proposed that a large number of health and human services be realigned to a local level, the governor scaled back his proposal in the May revision to $1.3 billion in realignment and defers much of his original proposal until 2004-05.

We still have a ways to go to ensure that California gets out of debt with minimal harm to those most in need of funding and services from the state. Nevertheless, the governor's May revision is a clear indicator of the power of civic participation. Please be assured that each time you contact my office or approach me at a community meeting, I will take your comments to heart and share them with my colleagues in the Assembly leadership committee. I will continue to work with you as the governor's proposed budget makes its way through the legislature to ensure that your government continues to work for you through this very difficult time.

Leland Yee, Ph.D., is the assistant speaker pro tempore at the California State Assembly.