2003 Budget Priorities | 2004 Budget Priorities
2005 Budget Priorities | 2006 Budget Priorities
2007 Budget Priorities
2003 Legislative Priorities | 2004 Legislative Priorities
2005 Legislative Priorities | 2006 Legislative Priorities
2007 Legislative Priorities

2004 Budget Priorities

The State faced a $16.2 billion shortfall for the 2004-05 fiscal year, many critical programs serving the Asian Pacific Islander community were proposed for reduction or elimination. The Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus adopted budget priorities to protect these key programs. This year's final budget funded all of the Caucus' budget priorities. The priorities for 2004-05 were:

Oppose Block-Granting of Immigrant Programs

Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to combine funding for four state-only immigrant programs into a block grant to counties. These programs were: Healthy Families for documented immigrants, California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), and CalWORKS for legal immigrants. The amount of the block grant would have been reduced by five percent. The impact of this lower level of funding would have been the equivalent of 273 less hungry individuals receiving CFAP, 984 disabled and elderly individuals receiving CAPI, and over 2,000 less children receiving Healthy Families health coverage. Under the proposal, counties would have been forced to choose which of these vulnerable populations to cut. The block granting proposal was estimated to save $6.6 million General Fund savings in the budget year.

√ Outcome: Immigrant programs were fully funded and not block-granted.

Oppose Capping Enrollment in Immigrant Medi-Cal Programs

Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to cap enrollment in four health programs that serve immigrants at the April 2004 level. The programs were: Medi-Cal for legal immigrants in the country less than 5 years, Medi-Cal Prenatal Care and Long-Term Care to undocumented individuals, and Medi-Cal Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Immigrants needing services would have been placed on a wait list until a vacancy occurred for services. Under the proposed caps, 11,439 legal immigrants, 65,900 undocumented immigrants, and 525 immigrants receiving Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment would have been placed on a waiting list for Medi-Cal. The caps would have resulted in $18.2 million General Fund savings in the budget year.

√ Outcome: Immigrant Medi-Cal programs were fully funded and not capped.

Oppose Elimination of the California Veterans Cash Benefit Program (for Filipino Veterans)

Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to eliminate the California Veterans Cash Benefit Program for current year savings of $1.4 million General Fund and budget year savings of $5.5 million General Funds. This program provides a cash grant at the same level as the state SSP grant (about $414 per month) to approximately 1,700 veterans of World War II that returned to the Republic of the Philippines.

√ Outcome: The California Veterans Cash Benefit Program was preserved at $5.5 million.

Oppose Elimination of Outreach and Academic Preparation Programs at University of California (UC) & California State Universities (CSU)

Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to eliminate UC/CSU outreach programs by reducing $85.3 million in General Fund support in the budget year. These programs are designed to academically prepare disadvantaged students across the state to access our public colleges and Universities and currently serve over 800,000 primarily low-income and minority students. The programs were reduced over 50% in the FY 2003-2004 budget.

√ Outcome: Outreach and Academic Preparation programs were preserved.

Naturalization Services Program (NSP):

The Naturalization Services Program was eliminated in the 2003-04 State Budget. It provided services to assist legal permanent residents to obtain citizenship through a network of community non-profits throughout the State. For about $350 per client, NSP provides training and support to individuals obtaining their citizenship.

√ Outcome: The Naturalization Services Program was restored at $1.5 million.