California Disability Community
Action Network Disability Rights News goes out to over 45,000 people
with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, their families,
workers, community organizations, including those in Asian/Pacific
Islander, Latino, African American communities, policy makers and
others across California.
REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND
WORK OF JOAN LEE
CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS DAY 76
FOCUS TO SOON SHIFT TO OVER 900 BILLS
PASSED IN AUGUST BY LEGISLATURE THAT WILL BE SENT TO
GOVERNOR FOR FINAL ACTION - IF BUDGET IS PASSED FIRST
Dozens of Bills Have Major Impact To Children and
Adults With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors - People
Need to Send Letters to Governor About Their Support or Opposition and
Concerns About Bills Passed As Soon As Possible With September 30th
Deadline Approaching
SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - If the State Senate and Assembly, as
expected, finally passes the long delayed State Budget - now 76 days
late Monday afternoon or possibly Tuesday, the focus will almost
immediately shift to nearly 900 bills that the Legislature passed in
August but have not sent to the Governor yet.
In early August Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger warned the
Legislature that he would veto any bill sent to him until a State
budget was passed and sent to him first.
Since then, the Governor only made one exception on August 26,
for AB 3034 by Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani (Democrat -
Stockton), dealing with making some revisions to the high
speed rail bond act on the November 2008 ballot. Never
before, at least in recent modern California history, has this
happened before.
Many Bills Have Major Impact to People With Disabilities,
Mental Health Needs, Seniors
Among the hundreds of bills that will be sent to the Governor
include dozens that have direct impact on children and adults with
disabilities - including developmental disabilities (including
autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome, etc), people with mental
health needs, seniors, low income children, their families,
community organizations and workers who provide services and
supports, special education, and more.
CDCAN will send out a full report covering these bills on Monday to
help people focus on these bills that include major health care
reform (SB 840, the single payer health reform bill), several bills
impacting people with autism spectrum disorder, bills dealing with
changes to Medi-Cal eligibility as required by the 2005 federal
deficit reduction act (DRA), bills impacting high school exit exam,
health care (including bill dealing with durable medical equipment),
access rights and enforcement, bills on elder abuse, housing, bills
regarding veterans with mental health needs and disabilities, and
more.
Budget Deal Reached by Legislative Leaders - Vote Likely on
Monday - Possibly Tuesday
As previously reported (see CDCAN Report #194-2008) Legislative
leaders from both parties have reached a budget deal and barring a
surprise, both the State Senate and Assembly should vote on a State
budget as early as late Monday afternoon - or probably no later than
Tuesday.
Leaders from both parties need to discuss the details with members of
their parties before bringing the State budget up for a vote.
Action on the budget would then mean that the Legislature can finally
deliver to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk over 900 bills it has been
holding since August.
No details are yet available on the budget agreement, though the
general outlines are known (see CDCAN Report #194-2008 or go to the
CDCAN website for the latest documents and reports on this as
information becomes available)
GOVERNOR'S CAPITOL ADDRESS
To send letters concerning bills that were passed by the Legislature
in August that the Governor will soon have on his desk, people should
send to following address as soon as possible (in the next day or two,
since the Governor could start taking action on bills soon after a
budget is passed and sent to him).
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Capitol Office Phone: 916-445-2841 Capitol Office FAX:
916-558-3160
Note: you should include in your letter regarding a bill, the bill
number and whether you support or oppose it, briefly your reasons, and
signing the letter, also printing your complete name and address.
You should also send a copy of your letter (more so if you in support
of the bill) to the main author of the bill. Address for the bill
author is the same for all members as follows:
Name of Assemblymember or State Senator
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
NEXT STEPS
LEGISLATURE:
* If the Legislature passes the State budget Monday or Tuesday
this week as expected, soon after that both houses will begin
sending the over 900 bills it has held since August to the Governor.
* After the Legislature passes the budget, there will be no further
meetings of either the Assembly or Senate until the first week of
December, when the new Legislators elected or re-elected in November
2008 are sworn in. Note: both houses could be called back into
session in the event of an emergency or other urgent need.
GOVERNOR
* Budget bill and related bills - Governor will focus first on the
main budget bill and the package of other budget related bills (called
trailer bills because they follow or trail the main budget bill).
The budget related bills are important because those bills contain
details and policy changes to implement what is in the main budget
bill. If the Legislature passes the long delayed budget on Monday
(September 15th), the Governor will likely sign the budget bill the
next day or so.
* Over 900 Bills - though the Legislature has been holding over 900
bills it passed in August, that doesn't mean the Governor's
Legislative Office has not been reviewing and gathering information on
some or most of those bills. People and organizations have been
sending in letters both for and against bills in the past several
weeks on at least the high profile pieces of legislation, such as the
single payer health care reform bill (SB 840 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl).
Now hundreds of other bills will likely be the focus of more
Californians as the budget issue leaves center stage and the focus
goes back to those measures - and the approaching September
30th deadline.
* Bill Deadline for Governor: The State Constitution gives the
deadline of September 30th for the Governor to sign or veto any bill
passed by the Legislature in August and that he has on his
desk on or after September 1st. Bills still on his desk after
September 30th that he has not signed or vetoed become law without his
signature - something that has virtually has not happened in recent
history.
* Bills that are emergency bills (called "urgency" statutes)
will take effect immediately upon approval of the Governor. All
other regular bills signed by the Governor take effect January 1,
2009.
* Bills that the Governor vetoes can be overridden by the Legislature
- something that rarely happens to any Governor. A veto override
takes 2/3rds vote in both houses - and in would have to happen on or
before November 30th this year, which is not likely.
READ
LATEST MARTY OMOTO COMMENTARY "TROPIC THUNDER: WORDS IN MOVIES
MATTER, BUT WORDS AND ACTION IN SACRAMENTO MATTER TOO" -
available on the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us
DISABILITY
RIGHTS NEWS REPORT