A crucial piece of this year's budget battle -- as in so many fights in the past -- is over the payments to welfare recipients. Inevitably, cuts in welfare and other social services are fought by Democrats.
From the Mercury News' Steve Harmon: "The showdown over welfare reforms has become an unlikely hurdle as state legislators close in on a Friday deadline to solve the state's $15.7 billion budget deficit. Democrats argued Wednesday that Clinton's 1990s welfare reform worked better in a strong economy and that eliminating services for people on the edge will only make things worse for them as California tries to recover from years of recession."
"The gulf between the two sides on this point threatens to derail legislators' plans to come to an agreement by midnight Friday. If they don't send Brown a budget on time, they will forfeit their pay for every day they're late."
"Brown wants to tighten eligibility restrictions on welfare-to-work recipients in a way that permanently saves the state money but, just as important to him, that catches the attention of voters who will determine the fate of his tax proposal this fall."
On the budget, one thing is clear: The Legislature and the governor do not agree on education funding.
From Kathryn Baron in TopEd: "The Legislature’s budget package is missing many of Gov. Brown’s controversial education initiatives. A joint Senate and Assembly plan outlined yesterday protects transitional kindergarten, the science mandate, and the AVID program, rejects the weighted student funding formula, and offers districts a choice in how they’re paid for state mandates."
“This budget protects and invests in public education this year, and increases Proposition 98 funding by $17 billion over the next four years,” said Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez during a press conference Wednesday morning with Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg."
"The overall budget plan that lawmakers will vote on this Friday would erase California’s $20 billion structural deficit, balance the budget for each of the next three years, and create a $2 billion reserve by fiscal year 2015-16, according to Pérez and Steinberg."
Lawyers, judges and court workers also have a bone to pick with the governor: They say Brown's proposed $544 million cuts will cripple an already trouble-plagued court system.
From the Bee's Andy Furrllo: "Speaker after speaker envisioned legal doomsday if the cut goes through. They said divorces will not be filed, small claims matters will go unheard, battered spouses seeking restraining orders will not get them, and children in need of foster care services will be left at risk."
"Already in Sacramento, court officials have sent layoff notices to 48 employees, mostly low-seniority workers in the interior reaches of the clerks' offices. Local officials have prepared to shut down small claims court four days a week. New court filings are likely to be dumped in a drop box and stamped only when a clerk is available, posing a risk of delay in the processing of the legal documents."
From CalPensions' Ed Mendel: "A key part of a pension reform approved by San Jose voters last week needs IRS approval, similar to an Orange County pension reform held up for three years while waiting for IRS approval."
"The problem is a U.S. Internal Revenue Service rule in 2006 that could deny the usual tax-deferred status if an individual public employee chooses a retirement plan with a lower benefit.
Giving current employees the option of choosing a lower pension plan, or paying more to keep the current plan, is a key part of an agreement Orange County negotiated with employees in 2009 as well as Measure B approved by San Jose voters last week."
"After talks with the IRS stalled, Orange County got U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, with Republican co-authors to introduce legislation last September giving tax-deferred status to optional public pension plans with lower benefits."
Caltrans, stung by a May 27 Sacramento Bee report that there were improper testing and possibile structural weaknesses in the new Bay Bridge construction, is holding an unprecedented public webinar on the structure's safety.
From the Contra Costa Times' Lisa Vorderbrueggen: "The Bay Bridge is about as high profile ... as a project gets in the state of California, and public confidence means a lot to us," said toll bridge program Manager Tony Anziano. "But foundation testing is a technically dense area that requires an explanation of underlying engineering concepts in order to understand why the (assertions in the Bee article) are wrong. The webinar is an opportunity for us to do that."
"Chief state bridge engineer Brian Maroney said Caltrans conducted numerous tests of the concrete during practice mixes, as it was poured into the foundation and after it was installed, and is completely satisfied with its integrity."
"Despite Caltrans' vigorous safety assurances, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, said he will hold investigative hearings this summer and seek independent analysis of the bridge's structural integrity."