• Noreen's View: Late Budgets Show Need for Budget Reform
• Your Legislator at Work: More Wine for Non-Profit Fundraisers
• An Eye on the Governor

NOREEN'S VIEW: LATE BUDGETS SHOW NEED FOR BUDGET REFORM

Almost every year, the Legislature is criticized for failing to pass an on-time budget for the State of California. It's become an annual summer ritual. The frustrating track record raises the question: Why is the budget always late?

As in previous years, a key challenge lies in making undesirable cuts to balance the budget because there isn't enough funding for many of the state's obligations. Most of the state's General Fund monies are committed to certain programs by ballot-box budgeting. This leaves a small percentage of programs eligible for and vulnerable to cuts in lean budget years, including welfare and disability payments, food stamps, and public safety. But, even when the economy is good and the Legislature isn't facing a scenario of tough choices, problems persist in getting a budget passed on time.

So, let me offer you my view about why the budget is nearly always late and what it means for California.

The biggest problem is that the state Constitution requires a 2/3 vote of both the Assembly and the Senate to adopt the budget. This gives a handful of legislators veto power over the budget. This year passing a budget required the support of only 7 Assembly Republicans and only 2 Senate Republicans! Since the Assembly passed the budget weeks ago, that means that the budget has been held up for the lack of only 2 votes in the Senate.

The end result is that the priorities of the Democratic majority are often held captive to the Republican fringe. This year, for example, Assembly Republicans pushed tax cuts for big business while demanding elimination of tax credits for our teachers. I am proud to say I voted against that misguided proposal.

In the Senate, Republicans' budget demands include:

• cutting family planning from Medi-Cal services for girls who don't have parental consent, effectively adopting the parental consent requirement that Californians soundly rejected at the ballot box twice in recent years;
• eliminating safety net cash grants to children whose parents do not meet welfare to work program requirements; this could result in nearly 150,000 children becoming homeless; and
• eliminating funding for drug treatment programs established by voters through Proposition 36.

It is indefensible and unconscionable to balance the budget of one of the world's largest economies on the backs of children living in poverty. We all deserve better.

This experience shows how our budgeting system disproportionately empowers radical Republicans, elected by a tiny percentage of California voters, with whom a majority of voters have not agreed at the ballot box. Our tyranny of the minority budgeting system distorts and undermines our system of representative government because it empowers those with views out of step with most Californians.

Our state government cannot operate without a budget, which should not be delayed for the purpose of ideological discussions. If the Legislature was empowered to pass a budget with a majority vote, the public could more directly hold the Legislature accountable for its performance. The public could decide if a budget was responsible and consistent with California values and vote accordingly.

YOUR LEGISLATOR AT WORK: MORE WINE FOR NON-PROFIT FUNDRAISERS

One of the things I am most proud of about our community is that we care so much about others in need. That's why I was so upset when, last year, three Napa vintners were cited for pouring their wines at a non-profit fundraising event.

I am pleased to report that the bill I introduced to fix this problem was just signed by the Governor. Assembly Bill (AB) 323 will allow more vintners to donate and pour their wines at non-profit fundraisers. The bill took effect when the Governor signed it.

AB 323 enables the increasing number of vintners operating under the license combination "17" (beer and wine wholesaler) and "20" (off-sale beer and wine retailer) issued by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to donate and pour their wines alongside wineries at charitable fundraisers.

Under current law, only wineries with an "02" license from ABC may donate and pour their wines at non-profit fundraising events. 17/20 vintners may donate their wines in some instances but they cannot pour them. AB 323 ends the confusion in current law. Both 02s and 17/20s may now donate and pour their wines side by side at non-profit fundraisers.

AB 323 is supported by the CA Association of Non-Profits, the CA Association of Winegrape Growers, Family Winemakers of CA, Napa Valley Vintners, and the Wine Institute. For further information about AB 323, please visit http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.

AN EYE ON THE GOVERNOR

As I noted last month in this newsletter, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently adopted regulations to begin California's efforts to confront climate change pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 32 that was passed last year. However, my hopes were dashed when we started hearing reports that the Governor's office was bullying the members of CARB in an effort to get them to back off from adopting regulations.

Through AB 32, the Legislature gave CARB the responsibility to coordinate our efforts to confront climate change. We did so because of CARB's reputation for scientific integrity and independent leadership. CARB was given this critical responsibility to take politics out of the process. It was the subject of intense debate and negotiation with the Governor's office. By their actions, the Governor and his top aides managed to put politics back into the process and to violate the specific terms of the bill that he signed into law.

Here's what happened. One of CARB's first orders of business under AB 32 was to adopt "early action measures." The day CARB met to adopt them, two senior aides to the Governor were intensively lobbying the members of the Board and its Executive Director to do what the Governor wanted and only adopt a few of the measures. The chairman of CARB was urged to go easy on big business instead of doing what is best for our environment. The message given was, "[T]hat is the direction from the Governor's office."

No grey area there. So, when the chairman of CARB pushed for more regulations than the Governor liked, he was fired. Days later, the Executive Director of CARB resigned stating, "[T]his Administration has lost its way on air quality and I no longer want to be a part of it."

This fiasco raised a lot of questions for all of us who care about climate change. I attended an investigatory hearing held by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee to learn what happened. Amazingly, although the Assembly requested the testimony of two of the Governor's top aides, he refused to send them! Instead, he sent someone who no longer even works for the Administration and was not authorized to speak on the Governor's behalf, along with a lower level administrative employee. The Governor still refuses to discuss this issue.

This whole experience is extremely upsetting. As a co-author of AB 32, I was so proud of the example California set for the nation and the world by putting together the first ever framework to confront climate change. But this fiasco has left me wondering, what kind of example are we are setting under the Governor's leadership?

Presently, all appointments to CARB are done by the Governor and all appointees serve at his pleasure. In order to protect CARB from further meddling, the Legislature is considering two basic reforms to protect CARB's independence. One is that the members of CARB serve for fixed terms. Another would have some members of CARB appointed by the Legislature. I support both of them because the integrity of our efforts to confront climate change cannot be compromised by politics. The future of our planet is at stake.

ACTIVITIES:

On July 4, the Governor requested that El Dorado County be declared a federal disaster area due to the destructive impact of the Angora Fire in the North Upper Truckee area of South Lake Tahoe, California. This was subsequently granted the next day.

On July 2, the Governor signed Senate Bill 488 by Senator Carol Migden (D-San Francisco) to allow the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to make minor property adjustments through small exchanges of acreage to improve park and open space values. The District has the authority to exchange up to 40 acres a year.

APPOINTMENTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

Frank Secreet, of Vallejo, was appointed to the Apprenticeship Council. Since 1996, Secreet has worked for the Boilermakers Local Lodge #549 as chair of the Board of Trustees, president of the Local and currently serving as business manager and secretary-treasurer.

For further information about the Governor, please visit www.governor.ca.gov.