Convention 2008: Public Policy Briefing (Saturday, April 5)

Charlotte Newhart, AAUW CA's legislative advocate, presented the briefing.

Briefing background: California is the sixth largest economy in the world, and we have a $6M deficit. This is the CA budget process:

• The governor proposes a budget by January 10 and gives to the California Legislature.
• The legislature designs its own budget and returns it to the governor for approval.
• Unlike the federal budget, California law requires that the state budget be balanced.
• Budget approval requires a 2/3 vote of the legislature. Unfortunately, the legislature is currently short on moderate members; most are far left or far right, making consensus very difficult.
  

Republicans fight tax increases, so where would money come from to balance the budget? Money is likely to come from the three largest budget items:

• Education: music, arts and class sizes are at risk.
• Health care: 50% of babies born are on Medical; cuts tend to be dental, podiatry.
• Prisons: California has some of the strictest sentencing laws in the country.

Charlotte urges us to talk to our legislators about our priorities. Solutions don't always have to be cuts. E.g., a vehicle tax, an alcohol tax, and/or increased fees are all possibilities for increasing income.

The AAUW CA bill package [handed out at the briefing] includes two statements crafted by the AAUW CA Public Policy Committee and approved by the AAUW CA Board. Charlotte urges us to make copies and give then to our local legislators. California has a professional legislature, meaning they work full-time. Typically they are in session Monday noon through Thursday noon, and they are in their home office on Fridays, waiting for our visits.

Of particular note in the new AAUW CA bill package:

• SB1712 (Midgen): Adulterated Cosmetics. This "lipstick bill" is one of our most important bills. The bill would permit the marketing of only lead-free lipstick in California. Lead is a neurotoxin which could have a variety of negative side effects.
• SB1578 (Florez): California Title IX - support if amended. This would be an audit bill to see if public institutions are in compliance with Title IX. This may lead to an additional bill next year: requiring that public universities have gender equity offices.
• AB2159 (Brownley): Education Funding. This bill proposes fewer strings on money allocated to school districts.

These are priority bills. Charlotte works on lower priority bills, too.

AAUW CA President and Director of Public Policy added this: The following bills, listed in our public policy handout, were both killed in the CA Assembly Education Committee last week - AB2085 (Huff) and AB2086 (Huff).