02/03/2012
Gov. Brown has sent a pension reform plan to the Legislature's Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions. The proposal, which includes changes to retirees' health benefits, is being criticized by labor unions. Sacramento Bee's "The State Worker" et al.
02/02/2012
Health providers and advocates have launched a campaign for a June ballot measure that aims to raise the state tobacco tax by $1 per pack. Funds from the increase would aid research for smoking-related health conditions. Riverside Press Enterprise, Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert."
02/01/2012
On Tuesday, the California Medical Association endorsed Gov. Brown's tax initiative to help close the state's estimated $9.2 billion budget deficit for fiscal year 2012-2013. Several health care organizations -- including Blue Shield of California and the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems -- have made contributions toward the initiative, which Brown intends to place on the November ballot. San Jose Mercury News.
02/01/2012
State Controller John Chiang has sent a letter to budget leaders warning that California could run out of cash by early March. Brown administration officials say the spending gap stems in part from courts blocking planned cuts to health and welfare programs. Sacramento Bee et al.
01/31/2012
A judge has issued a tentative ruling to block a 10% reduction to Medi-Cal payment rates while a lawsuit challenging the cuts continues. The judge said the state's budget issues do not outweigh the harm that the reductions could cause. AP/Sacramento Bee et al.
01/25/2012
A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that 57% of California adults would be willing to pay higher taxes to support the state's safety-net programs. The poll also finds that 68% of likely voters support Gov. Brown's tax hike proposal. HealthyCal et al.
01/25/2012
On Tuesday, a federal judge granted final approval to a recent settlement in a lawsuit challenging the state's plan to eliminate the adult day health care program. Under the settlement, about half of the 35,000 participants in the ADHC program beginning in March will be eligible to join the new Community-Based Adult Services program, while the rest of the participants will receive case management services that allow them to continue living at home. Los Angeles Times' "PolitiCal."
01/24/2012
The California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and Blue Shield of California have made contributions to Gov. Brown's November tax initiative. Brown said support from Kaiser Permanente will be announced soon. KQED's "Capital Notes" et al.
01/20/2012
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken issued a preliminary injunction to continue to prevent the state from implementing cuts to the In-Home Supportive Services program. The state plans to challenge the order. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
01/19/2012
During his State of the State address on Wednesday, Gov. Brown highlighted his proposal to temporarily raise some sales and income taxes and his plan to change public worker pensions. He said higher taxes are needed to help stave off additional budget cuts. AP/ABC News et al.
01/12/2012
The Legislative Analyst's Office has issued an overview of Gov. Brown's budget proposal, stating that the plan is mostly sound but that uncertainty surrounds revenue projections included as part of the governor's tax plan. AP/CBS News et al.
01/11/2012
State Controller John Chiang reports that California's December revenues fell $1.4 billion below budget estimates and that legislative action might be needed to ensure the state can meet payment obligations. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" et al.
01/11/2012
On Tuesday, advocates held rallies in at least four cities to protest the $2.5 billion in planned state health and social service spending cuts included in Gov. Brown's new $92.6 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2012-2013. The protesters said the proposed spending cuts would harm many of California's vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, children and individuals with disabilities. The protesters called on Brown to increase state taxes on wealthy residents and companies to help bridge a projected $9.2 billion deficit. Contra Costa Times, Fresno Bee.
01/10/2012
The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that Gov. Brown's plan to temporarily hike certain taxes would generate about $2 billion less than what the state projects. Deeper spending cuts could be made if LAO's estimate is correct. Bloomberg et al.
01/10/2012
"Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to save money by cutting state funding to combat In-Home Supportive Services fraud is penny-wise and pound-foolish" because it "will create an open season for criminals to bilk taxpayers out of the very dollars he wants to save," Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully writes in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece. "For the past two fiscal years, the state budget included $10 million for IHSS fraud investigations," which "made California eligible to receive $10 million in additional federal funds, totaling $20 million each fiscal year for distribution to any county willing to implement an IHSS fraud investigation plan," she notes. "The governor should protect IHSS fraud prevention funds because ... [f]ailing to do so will be a disservice to IHSS participants, taxpayers and communities throughout California," Scully concludes. Sacramento Bee.