CDCAN
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
CAPITOL NEWS REPORT #57-2005  July 7, 2005 Thursday
Linking people to disability rights and unified action
1225 8th Street Suite 480 - Sacramento, CA 95814  916/446-0013  Fax: 916/446-0026
Marty Omoto - director  email: martyomoto@rcip.com    website: www.cdcan.us
 
 STATE BUDGET BREAKING NEWS
* Health & Human Services Budget Law Changes In SB 68
* Includes SSI/SSP, Regional Center, Medi-Cal Dental Cuts & Law Changes
* Self Directed Services Program Provisions Also In SB 68

SACRAMENTO  - The Legislature is still in session for final votes on budget related bills, after passage earlier this morning of the main budget bill, SB 77.  One major budget related bill - called a "budget trailer bill" because it follows or trails the main budget bill, is SB 68 as amended today that the Assembly approved, following passage of the main budget bill.  The Senate subsequently passed SB 68 by  a vote of 27-10.

The provisions of SB 68 are not yet officially in print or available on the official legislative information website, however the provisions are exactly the same as those in AB 131 as amended on July 7, 2005.  The amendments to AB 131 are in print and available and are identical to the amendments that will appear in SB 68.  A copy of those amendments as it appears in AB 131 is available on the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us

Because of timing and the requirement that both houses must approve legislation, it is usual practice for budget related law changes  to appear in both houses at the same time, though with different bill numbers.  Whatever house moves first on the bill is the measure that the other house will vote on. In the case of the health and human services "budget trailer bll", the Assembly acted first, approving SB 68.  As a result, AB 131 is being held on the Senate Floor - but the provisions are identical to what is in SB 68.

SB 68, about 124 pages long when it is available and in print - probably by this evening, contains all the provisions requiring changes in state law covering all health and human services, including Medi-Cal, regional centers (including self directed services program), mental health, rehabilitation, (including supported employment), Healthy Families, California Childrens Services, social services (including SSI/SSP, community care licensing, etc). 

As reported earlier, the State Senate was first to act on the budget plan this morning, as revised earlier in June by the Democrats with new agreements and compromises added in as a result of an agreement reached by the Governor and the four top Democratic and Republican legislative leaders - including Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) on Monday.  After brief debate, the Senate approved the main budget bill, SB 77, by an initial vote of 29-6 , two more than the 2/3ds vote required by the State Constitution to pass a budget.   Less than 40 minutes later, the State Assembly - meeting at the same time - passed SB 77 by a vote of 63-13

Both houses passed budget related bills that are linked to the main budget bill.  Some contain the compromises and agreements reached with the Governor and the legislative leaders.  Other bills contain the changes in state law that allow certain program changes or reductions to be made, such as the cut to the grants to the lowest income seniors and people with disabilities (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) with a two year state cost of living adjustment suspension beginning in January 2006 and in addition, withholding of the federal cost of living adjustment for the first three months in 2006, and 2007, which is contained in SB 68.

Both houses remain in session to work on finalizing and approving other budget related bills.  A full CDCAN Capitol News Report detailing the impact to people with disabilities and seniors will be released later today or tomorrow morning.

URGENT!
CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED TO CONTINUE EFFORT CAN CONTRIBUTE VIA NON-PROFIT 501(c)3  see below Contributions from people and organizations is very urgently needed to keep the advocacy efforts going for the next several months, as we work to establish non-profit status which we are working on. Your help is needed though to keep the effort going in 2005. Please make check or money order  to:  California Disability Community Action Network  (or abbreviate CDCAN) OR, if for tax deduction purposes, you can make the check out to TTSR (Training Toward Self Reliance), which is a 501C-3 non-profit organization, and indicate on check that contribution is for support for "CDCAN". A method to contribute by credit card (through Paypal) is NOW set up on our website, at www.cdcan.us [new site address]  Send contributions to: California Disability Community Action Network (see below for mailing address)

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The California Disability Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain and other injures, seniors and their families, community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and other advocates. These action alerts and news reports is for all of them.   If you would like to get on this distribution (and conversely, get off of  it) please send an email with that  request to:  martyomoto@rcip.com OR sign up via the NEW CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us  Sharing information is part of our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward or copy  this (attribution is nice). We're all in this together!