CDCAN REPORT 196-2008

DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT

Advocacy Without Borders: One Community

Report #196-2008 September 16, 2008 Early Tuesday morning

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.

REPLY TO: MARTY OMOTO martyomoto@rcip.com website: www.cdcan.us

REMEMBERING LIFE AND WORK OF JOAN LEE

BREAKING NEWS:

* State Senate Passes Budget 29-11

* Heads To Assembly - Still In Session

* Hundreds Protest In LA Budget Delay

Governor Threatens Veto of Budget Bill If Stronger Budget Reforms Aren't Included - Not Certain If Demands of Governor Were Met

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - With California 78 days without a State budget, the State Senate in a long drawn out floor session, finally passed a State budget by a vote of 29 to 11, just after 12:30 AM early Tuesday morning (September 16). AB 88 - Supplemental Budget bill, a companion bill to the main budget bill also passed the State Senate 28 to 12.

The main budget bill, AB 1781, along with a package of several budget related bills (called trailer bills) head to the Assembly, for approval. The Assembly, as of 12:51 AM, Tuesday (September 16) is still in session. The State Senate is close to adjourning its session, which began Monday afternoon at 4 PM.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier in the evening wrote a letter to the four legislative leaders saying he would veto the budget bill unless some additional budget reforms were included. It is not clear if the changes made during the evening in some of those reforms would meet the Governor's demands.

Hundreds Protest Budget Delay Outside Governor's Los Angeles Office

In yet another sign of the growing impact of the budget delay, hundreds of people with disabilities, seniors, families, mental health needs, community organizations and workers marched several blocks to the Ronald Reagan State Office Building in downtown Los Angeles, that houses the Governor's Los Angeles office, and also offices for several other high state officials.

The large crowd grew during the march, and the protest rally on the sidewalk and street with signs, chants "Sign the Budget - We Are People" and shouted slogans urging the Governor to sign the budget.

Crowd estimates were difficult, with people jammed along the entire sidewalk length in front of the office building, but several observers estimated its peak between 700 to just under 1,000 people. See separate CDCAN Report for details and photos.

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News Impacting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors & others, including Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, African Americans communities across California and beyond - Reports go out to over 45,000 people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs & others, organizations, policy makers across California
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MANY MANY THANKS to Regional Center of the East Bay, Friends of Children with Special Needs, UCP of Orange County, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Alta California Regional Center, FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment), Life Steps, Easter Seals California, Parents Helping Parents, Work Training, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Harbor Regional Center, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California