Wolk applauds passage of fiscally responsible budget

Budget preserves Williamson Act, K-12 Education and invests in flood protection, public safety

SACRAMENTO–Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) applauded the Senate’s passage of a $103 billion State Budget approved by the Assembly on July 20 that includes funding for education, transportation, public safety, flood protection and a variety of other programs in Yolo and Solano Counties.

“I’m relieved to say the Senate has finally approved the budget passed by the Assembly a month ago, which restores funding to the Williamson Act, and includes funding for education, public safety, flood protection, and a variety of other programs in Yolo and Solano Counties,” said Wolk. “This budget isn’t perfect.  Compromises never are. But it is a step in the right direction, and is fiscally responsible. It creates a $3.4 billion reserve, and repays $2.5 billion in bond obligations.”

“California can now get back to business,” said Wolk. “The community health centers and other vital programs throughout California that rely on state funding can get back to serving this state’s disabled, elderly, and poor.  The small businesses and nonprofits that depend on state contracts will no longer have to take out high-interest private loans to pay their expenses.  And this legislature can get back to the business of negotiating meaningful healthcare and flood protection reform.”

The budget now goes to the Governor’s desk.

2007-08 State Budget Highlights:

• Creates a $3.4 billion dollar reserve.
• Repays $2.5 billion in bond obligations.
• Reduces this year's operating deficit from $2.7 billion to $499 million.

Environment

• Restores full funding for the Williamson Act, a critical program for statewide efforts to protect agricultural land.  Yolo County currently has 417,240 acres, 64 percent of total acres in Yolo County, enrolled in the program—and receives approximately $1.3 million in subventions to replace lost property tax revenues. Without this protection, agricultural lands and farming operations often become vulnerable to development.
• Approves $47 million for CALFED Bay Delta Ecosystem Restoration Programs.
• Approves $5.7 million for the exclusion and eradication of the quagga mussel, a highly invasive species threatening California's water delivery and natural ecosystems. The appropriation will aid in the enforcement of AB 1683, legislation by Wolk to provide the Department of Fish and Game with the authority necessary to prevent the spread of quagga mussels. 

Higher Education

• Provides a $52.9 million increase for U.C. enrollment growth; a $64.4 million increase for C.S.U. enrollment growth; and a $109.9 million increase for community colleges enrollment growth.
• $26.3 million for U.C. and C.S.U. Academic Preparation programs, which help improve access to higher education for disadvantaged children, helping to close achievement gaps and prepare k-12 students to enroll in postsecondary education.
• Increases U.C. and C.S.U. base budgets by 4 percent, $116.7 million increase for U.C., $108.9 million increase for C.S.U. 
• Provides $1.7 million for expansion of U.C. Entry-Level Master's Nursing Program; $6.2 million for expansion of undergraduate and Entry-Level Master's Nursing Programs; $4 million in one-time funds to support start-up costs for four new community college nursing programs; and $22.1 million in ongoing funds for nursing program support and enrollment expansion.
• Approves $248.5 million to community colleges for a 4.53 percent COLA for general purpose apportionments.

Health Care

• Fully funds Medi-Cal caseload and county administration and includes $214.3 million for managed care rate increases.
• Provides an increase of $15.8 million for the Prenatal Screening Program.
• Provides $1.1 billion to the Healthy Families program to provide coverage for 920,000 children.
• Provides $55 million to Homeless Mentally Ill program, a nationally recognized model program that serves homeless, mentally ill adults.

K-12 Education

• Provides $57.2 billion in ongoing Proposition 98 funding for K-12 education and community colleges.
• Fully-funds 4.53 percent COLA and growth for K-12 revenue limits and categorical programs, protecting school districts from budget reductions at a cost of $2.1 billion.
• Includes $626 million in one-time Prop 98 funds.
• Provides an increase of $24.9 million to increase the state’s reimbursement rate for school breakfast and lunch by 4.7 cents, from $0.1634 to $0.21 per meal.
• Ensures base funding for deferred maintenance programs, adjusted for COLA.

Flood Protection

• Approves $8.4 million and 35 positions for levee maintenance activities, including San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta levees, improved emergency response capabilities, and floodplain mapping.
• Approves the first year of funding from Propositions 1E and 84 for total amount of $474.6 million and 52 positions for investments to improve the state's flood control systems. This funding includes $401 million for local assistance including flood control subventions, grants for projects to improve flood protection in urban Central Valley areas, support for local maintenance and improvements of delta levees, grants for new flood control feasibility studies and levee evaluations, and programs to improve floodway corridors. These monies allow the Department of Water Resources to fully fund evaluations of Central Valley levees, both state and local.  These evaluations will help identify how best to improve flood protection for communities like West Sacramento and Woodland.
• Additionally, provides $61.6 million for state operations, including development of a California Flood Plan, support for floodplain evaluations and delineation, sediment removal to improve channel flows, and administrative and technical assistance for grant programs.

Transportation

• Fully funds Proposition 42 at $1.6 billion, including repayment of $83 million for past suspension of Proposition 42.
• Provides $406 million for State Transit Assistance (STA), an increase of $200 million above the Governor’s May Revision that can be used for local transit operations.
• Protects $467 million from the projected Spillover revenues for transit, including $313 million for local operations.

Public Safety

• Provides $35 million for subventions to counties for local detention facility operations, renovation, remodeling, construction, or equipment to replace revenue from former booking fees paid by cities. These subventions replace revenue from booking fees eliminated by budget trailer legislation last year.
• Provides $29.7 million in local assistance to county sheriffs to fully fund the 2006-07 funding cycle for the Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction grant program, which improves access to mental health services for adult and juvenile non-violent offenders.
• Includes $18.5 million to fully fund the Rural and Small County Law Enforcement Grants program, which provides grants of $500,000 to 37 counties including Yolo County.
• Provides $27.7 million to support facility modifications and staffing for up to 50 new judgeships.

Public Safety (continued)

• Provides a $12 million augmentation to the Adult Protective Services Program, which provides emergency response 24 hours per day to protect the most vulnerable seniors and dependent adults from abuse and neglect.  This augmentation will help the program respond to a rapidly-increasing number of reports of abuse and neglect.

Social Services

• Provides $314 million for CalWORKS cash assistance and services to eligible low-income families with children.