BUDGET
Late yesterday, the budget conference committee met for the final time to act on the Governor’s Proposed Prop 58 Fiscal Emergency budget resolution package. As a reminder, the Fuel Tax Swap Re-enactment and related Weight Fee transfer for bond debt service were technically not “in conference” as these proposals had been approved by both full budget committees.
Yesterdays actions represented the final deliberations in addressing the $26+billion two-year budget deficit. In play were Redevelopment (RDA), cuts in state operations and softer cuts in some social programs than what the Governor had proposed.
In total, with the actions approved in the full budget committees and supplemented by decisions made in conference, including yesterday’s actions, the final budget resolution package moving forward to the two Floors for action next week amounted to the following:
$14 billion in revenues (including tax extenders, $12 billion)
$12.5 billion in program cuts
$3 billion in intergovernmental transfers (like the weight fee proposal)
Final reserve estimated to be $800+ million.
For those following the Redevelopment agency proposals, a conference committee party line vote was made (All Dem- Aye, Reps-No) to basically “take” all the property taxes and provide for successor agency to inherit the existing RDA debt and programs. There remain many details to be addressed in the RDA proposal, but the conference committee did take the tax revenues.
Next up are expected votes on the budget proposal and trailer bills next week by both of the full houses.
Attached is link to a Dan Walters’ column that discusses the opportunities available to Republican’s with this budget. Click here
Those Republican lawmakers that have made themselves “in play” have becoming very popular with those with wish lists.
LEGISLATIVE REVIEW
For those that are completing the GSBE bill review, just a reminder to have it returned to me by March 11. Policy committees are beginning to set bills.
CONSTRUCTION ENFORCEMENT COALITION
During a meeting with agency staff updates on their various enforcement activities were presented. And in alignment with our coalition letter, the coalition promoted the need for someone in state government to coordinate construction enforcement claims between agencies. And the coalition also promoted the need to remove the hiring freeze on enforcement personnel. The coalition also expressed the importance of publicizing actions against flagrant violators as quickly as possible.
I believe there are still spots available to GSBE for the Coalition Day at the Capitol on March 30. Those interested should contact Aubyn Jo.
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