July 18, 2024
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Valerie Evans, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
With the trauma of the past week and the future coverage of the election and propositions in the coming weeks, your analysts decided to share some “you may be surprised” resolutions that have passed the California Congress.
In addition to Bills, the Houses of Congress introduce and pass “Resolutions and Concurrent Resolutions”
SR 68, Relative to Constitution Week
WHEREAS, September 17, 2024, will mark the 237th anniversary of the framing of the Constitution of the United States of America at the Constitutional Convention; and
WHEREAS, To honor the timeless principles enshrined in our Constitution, the Congress has, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952, (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day”; and
WHEREAS, By joint resolution of August 2, 1956, (36 U.S.C. 108), the Congress further requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as “Constitution Week”; and etc.
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby recognizes the week of September 17, 2024, to September 23, 2024, inclusive, as Constitution Week to commemorate the Constitution of the United States and to urge all Californians to reflect on its importance to our nation;
2024-07-03 – Read. Adopted.
SR 71, Relative to Service Dog Appreciation Month
WHEREAS, Service dogs are extraordinary animals that enable their human companions to live their fullest lives; and
WHEREAS, There are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the United States; and
WHEREAS, It takes roughly 18 to 24 months to train a service dog; and
WHEREAS, Service dogs wear a harness or vest that identifies their role; and…
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of September 2024 as Service Dog Appreciation Month; and be it further
Resolved, That Californians are grateful for the service and dedication these loyal companions provide for their owners and communities;
(Passed) 2024-07-03 – Read. Adopted.
SCR 153, Dodd. Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month.
WHEREAS, The population of Californians over 60 years of age is expected to increase 166 percent during the period from 2010 to 2060, inclusive, with more than one-half of the counties seeing a 100-percent increase in this age group; and
WHEREAS, Research by the National Institute of Justice found that 11 percent of older adults reported experiencing at least one form of mistreatment in the past year, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that only 1 in 24 incidents are reported and fewer than 15 percent of those harmed access formal support services each year; and
WHEREAS, Many victims of abuse fail to report out of fear of losing their relationships with those harming them, shame that someone they trust mistreated them, or distrust of the police and agencies charged to help them; and…
This measure would proclaim and acknowledge the month of June 2024, and every June thereafter, as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in California and would reiterate the importance of annually recognizing Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in the state.
2024-07-03 – Chaptered by Secretary of State.
ACR 202, McCarty. Loving Day.
This measure would proclaim Wednesday, June 12, 2024, as Loving Day.
2024-07-05 – In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
SR 102, Relative to Kimchee Day.
WHEREAS, Kimchee is a traditional dish in Korean cuisine with a long, rich history that began over two millennia ago during the period of the Three Kingdoms of Korea; and
WHEREAS, Korean Americans represent a vibrant, growing community in the United States whose predecessors first arrived in the United States over a century ago and whose members have gone on to become an indispensable part of the fabric of the United States and made numerous contributions to science, law, business, art, and many other fields; and…….
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That November 22, 2024, shall be celebrated as Kimchee Day;
2024-06-26 – From committee: Ordered to third reading.
More on the budget
There are various ways to balance the budget and one is: Revenue/Internal Borrowing – $13.6 billion
The borrowing is internally from special funds.
Fund shifts of $6.0 billion of certain expenditures from the general fund to other funds. Significant solutions in this category include;
Prop 2 Supplemental Payment – applies a prior CalPers Supplemental Pension Payment to the States overall pension liability to reduce the required employer contributions in 2024/25 by $1.7 billion ($1.3 billion general fund) This means the state is not paying into the fund of CalPers as required for State employees as is required by all other government agencies who are participating in CalPers for their employees.
Formula and Competitive Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program – Shifts $958 million general fund from current year and budget year to Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Clean Energy and Other Climate Programs – Shifts $3 billion from current year and budget year general fund to the greenhouse gas reduction fund.
Delays and Pauses $3.1 billion. This agreement minimizes the use of delays to avoid both increased future obligations and potential shortfalls. These include:
California Food Assistance Program Expansion – Delays for two years the California Food Assistance program expansion automation to begin in 2026-27 with benefits beginning in 2027-28.
Department of Developmental Services Provider Pay Delay – Delays implementation of increased provider pay by six months to 1/1/25.
Child Care Slots – Funds approximately 11,000 slots that received tentative awards and pauses additional expansion slots by two years. After two years, additional slots are subject to Budget Act appropriation.
Broadband Last Mile – Delays $550 million to 2027-28
Deferrals – $2.1 billion – Delays certain payments to later years
Payroll Deferral – Defers $3.2 billion for one month of state employees’ payroll costs
UC/CSU Compact Deferral – Defers $524 million from 2025-26 to 2026-27 and from 2026-27 to 2027-28.
Obviously, there is a pattern here. The Governor and Legislature are pushing off into the future hoping that the revenue will increase to meet these deferred obligations. All of these deferrals affect a wide range of the California population that were counting on these funds for their own programs of personal situations.
This information is presented to show how the budget is negotiated and how solutions are pushed into future years.
Legislative Portal links – Express your support or opposition to a bill or directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RW or GSRW) – click here, or the bill’s author – click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”.
