Postings
- Legislative Update on the Governor's 2013-2014 Proposed Budget
- Governor Brown Signs Bipartisan Pension Reform Bill to Save Billions by Capping Benefits, Increasing Retirement Age and Stopping Abuse
- 2012-13 Budget: May Revision
- Governor’s Proposal to Complete Juvenile Justice Realignment
- The 2012-13 Budget: Realignment of Adult Offenders & CDCR after Realignment
- The 2012-13 Budget: Completing Juvenile Justice Realignment
- Governor's Proposed 2012 Budget Plan and Full Budget Summary
- LOA Review of Governor Proposed Pension Plan
- Governor Brown Unveils Pension Reform Plan
- Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan
- Governor Brown Vows to Pursue Constitutional Protection for Public Safety Realignment Funding
- 2011 Public Safety Realignment
- AB 109 PowerPoint Overview
- 2011 Realignment
- Legislative Updates 07/05/11
- California ordered to release prisoners
- Governor Releases May Revision...
- State Budget Update
- 2010 Legislators of the Year
- Governor's Re-alignment Prop
- Attack on Pensions!
- VLF Update
- 2010 Legislative Session Recap
- July, 2010
LEGISLATIVE CORNER
01.14.13
Legislative Update on the Governor's 2013-2014 Proposed Budget
The stated purpose of Realignment in 2011 was to move "program and fiscal responsibility to counties, providing a dedicated source of funding while eliminating duplication of effort, generating savings, and increasing flexibility." As we know, one other clear (if not overriding) purpose of realignment was to relieve on-going serious over-crowding problems in the state prison system.
09.12.12
LOS ANGELES – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed sweeping bipartisan pension reform legislation that saves billions of taxpayer dollars by capping benefits, increasing the retirement age, stopping abusive practices and requiring state employees to pay at least half of their pension costs.
06.28.12
On June 27th, the Legislature passed a bill amending the 2012-2013 Budget Act they approved two weeks ago - along with over 20 budget trailer bills. The Governor signed them all late last night including the main budget bill which was subject to a statutory deadline.
05.14.12
Governor Jerry Brown released his May Revision to the 2012-2013 State Budget today estimating that the current budget deficit has now grown to $15.7 billion. His May Budget includes additional spending cuts to health and welfare programs, higher education, as well as a 5 percent furlough for state workers totaling $8.3 billion.
03.22.12
Governor’s Proposal to Complete Juvenile Justice Realignment
The Legislative Analyst's Office has released its hearing handout, "Governor's Proposal to Complete Juvenile Justice Realignment," which was presented to the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary, finds the Governor's proposal to "fully realign juvenile justice to counties" could potentially be more "efficient and effective," says "counties are better positioned to reduce the likelihood of recidivism by providing a continuity of supervision and services between time spent in a facility and in the community."
02.24.12
The 2012-13 Budget: Realignment of Adult Offenders & CDCR after Realignment
The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) recently released two reports providing an update on the status of realignment. The first focuses primarily on realignment's impact on local governments, reviews the Governor's proposed changes and makes recommendations to encourage realignment's long-term success. The second report focuses on realignment's impact on the overall population at CDCR and how those inmates are manages both within CDCR and on parole.
02.15.12
The 2012-13 Budget: Completing Juvenile Justice Realignment
Over the past 16 years, the Legislature has enacted various measures which realigned to counties a significant share of responsibility for managing juvenile offenders. Under current law, only juveniles adjudicated for a serious, violent, or sex offense can be sent to state facilities by the juvenile courts. As a result, 99 percent of juvenile offenders are housed or supervised by counties.
01.05.12
Governor's Proposed 2012 Budget Plan and Full Budget Summary
12.22.11
LOA Review of Governor Proposed Pension Plan
Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9005, we have reviewed the proposed constitutional initiative concerning public employee pensions (A.G. File No. 11-0063, Amdt. #1S).
Governor Brown Unveils Pension Reform Plan
12-point proposal raises retirement age for public employees, ends system-wide
abuses and cuts costs for taxpayers by billions
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today proposed 12 major reforms for state and local pension systems that would end system-wide abuses and reduce taxpayer costs by billions of dollars over the
long term.
Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan
The pension reform plan I am proposing will apply to all California state, local, school and other public employers, new public employees, and current employees as legally permissible. It also will begin to reduce the taxpayer burden for state retiree health care costs and will put California on a more sustainable path to providing fair public retirement benefits.
Governor Brown Vows to Pursue Constitutional Protection for Public Safety Realignment Funding
SACRAMENTO – Speaking to more than 500 local government and law enforcement leaders at a statewide conference on public safety realignment, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today vowed to do “whatever it takes” to provide constitutional protection for realignment funding.
Earlier this year, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed Assembly Bill (AB) 109 and AB 117, historic legislation that will enable California to close the revolving door of low-level inmates cycling in and out of state prisons. It is the cornerstone of California‟s solution for reducing the number of inmates in the state‟s 33 prisons to 137.5 percent design capacity by May 24, 2013, as ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
All provisions of AB 109 and AB 117 are prospective and implementation of the 2011 Realignment Legislation will begin October 1, 2011. No inmates currently in state prison will be transferred to county jails or released early.
2011 Realignment:
Addressing Issues to Promote Its Long-Term Success
The Legislature enacted a major shift—or “realignment”—of state program responsibilities and revenues to local governments. In total, the realignment plan provides $6.3 billion to local governments (primarily counties) to fund various criminal justice, mental health, and social services programs in 2011-12, and ongoing funds for these programs annually thereafter...
July 05, 2011
Last week, the California Legislature passed and the Governor signed SB 87, which is an amended version of the budget that was vetoed by the Governor a few weeks earlier...
Supreme Court orders California to release prisoners
WASHINGTON - A closely divided Supreme Court on Monday cited "serious constitutional violations" in California's overcrowded prisons and ordered the state to abide by aggressive plans to fix the problem.
In a decision closely watched by other states, the court by a 5-4 margin concluded the prison overcrowding violated constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Pointedly, the court rejected California's bid for more time and leeway.
Read more >
Governor Releases May Revision of the 2011-12 CA State Budget
May 16, 2011
Governor Jerry Brown today released his proposed May revision to the 2011-2012 State Budget calling for no additional major budget reductions beyond what was either proposed in January or enacted in March and proposing – subject to voter approval in a special election – a five year extension of most of the 2009 temporary tax increases. The Governor's proposal assumes that the 2009 temporary tax increases will be extended effective July 1st with voter approval in a special election to follow as soon as possible, only if the Legislature is able to get the necessary 2/3rds vote in both the Assembly and Senate.
Read more >
State Budget Update
March 18, 2011
Yesterday, the Senate and Assembly passed both the state budget bill (SB 69) for 2011-12 with a majority vote and a number of trailer bills including those that cut health and human services funding, dealt with general government, transportation and the realignment of public safety programs which amounted to $7.4 billion in cuts. Although on Wednesday a few Republicans put up the votes for several trailer bills dealing with cuts, others were stripped of their urgency clause on Thursday and were, therefore, able to be passed with a majority vote. Due to the passage of Prop 25 last November, the Legislature is now authorized to pass the budget bill with a simple majority vs 2/3... Read more >
2010 Legislators of the Year
January 27, 2011
The State Coalition of Probation Organizations named its “Legislators of the Year”: Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley) and Assembly Member Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego). Senator Runner was presented his award on January 11, 2011 at the CCLEA (California Coalition Law Enforcement Association) Annual Legislative Reception held at the Senator Hotel in Sacramento... Read more >
Governor's Re-alignment Proposal
January 10, 2011
Attached is the Governor’s Realignment Proposal. His plan seeks to shift greater functions to local governments, providing them funding through higher sales and vehicle taxes voters would pass. Under this proposal, offenders without any current or prior serious or violent or sex convictions would become the responsibility of local jurisdictions. With more resources at the local level, these short‑term, lower‑level offenders can be better managed and can become more successful through a combination of probation services and jail time.
This proposal would also shift the responsibility for adult parole to the counties. He feels that since these offenders typically live in the community from which they left, county law enforcement and probation are usually more knowledgeable about the offender, suggesting local supervision of parolees is a better policy and public safety option. His plan also includes realigning juvenile justice programs. Under the proposal, all sentences would be served locally
– Pat Moran, Aaron Read & Associates
Related documentation downloads:
Re-alignment Proposal (PDF)
Tax Relief and Local Government (PDF)
Attack on Pensions!
January 5, 2011
The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility (CFFR) – the Marcia Fritz led “pension reform” group, has drafted two alternative pension reform proposals (attached). A constitutional amendment would be necessary to enact these reforms, and they would apply to all public pension systems in California, including state and local governments, school and special districts, and universities.
These proposals follow in the wake of a string of successful local measures that passed in November aimed at curbing or reducing local public pension costs and the announcement by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders that he will propose that all new city employees except police and firefighters get a 401(k)-style individual investment plan instead of a pension.
The proposals are not unexpected and mirror efforts of some in Washington D.C. and other states to eliminate public employee pensions. 2011 is shaping-up to be another year of attacks on public employees and their retirement.
– Pat Moran, Aaron Read & Associates
Related documentation downloads:
Alternative A - The Fair and Sensible Public Employee Retirement Plan Reform Act
Alternative B - The Fair and Sustainable Public Pension System
CFFR Pension Reform Proposals