A Fresno judge ruled last week that California's attempt to take $1 billion
from First 5 commissions was illegal.
Gov. Jerry Brown
and state lawmakers initially relied on the money in March to help balance a
then-$26 billion shortfall. Two months later, state leaders backed away from
the budget solution because First 5 commissions filed suit to block it. But
Brown continued to defend the move in court.
Fresno Superior Court judge Debra J. Kazanjian determined in her
ruling that the First 5 take was illegal because it required voter approval
under the initial 1998 ballot measure, Proposition 10.
First 5 programs are funded by a voter-approved tobacco tax to provide
early childhood development services. State leaders instead dedicated that
money toward ongoing Medi-Cal costs for children 0 to 5 years old.
The governor argued that the move was legal because it was consistent
with Proposition 10's goal of supporting children in their first five years of
life. His defense essentially was that the budget crisis would have otherwise left
those children without Medi-Cal services.
Kazanjian disputed that interpretation: "But that argument is
disingenuous in that it was the legislature that 'chose' to cut funding to
existing services instead of taking what might be the unpopular step of raising
revenue."
She also said elsewhere, "To claim that transferring
decision-making from local communities to the state legislature is 'consistent
with' Prop 10 is like asking the court to find that black means white."
Kevin Yamamura. The Sacramento Bee
Comment: The judges argument applies to many of the dubious reductions in the budget. That is, the legislature can't just argue- we don't have the money. Of course they have the money, they decline to raise the money due to political pressure. Duane Campbell
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