Democrats OK big cuts to California's safety net STATE BUDGET

State Sen. Mark Leno, right, D-San Francisco, chair of the Senate budget committee, responds to a question concerning a package of budget bills from Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton, left, R-Rancho Cucamonga, in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Feb. 14, 2011. less State Sen. Mark Leno, right, D-San Francisco, chair of the Senate budget committee, responds to a question concerning a package of budget bills from Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton, left, R-Rancho Cucamonga, ... more Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Democrats OK big cuts to California's safety net 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

After years of fighting to save health and social services for the poor and elderly, Democrats on a key legislative committee reversed direction Thursday and voted for a budget plan that makes large cuts to California's safety net. And, in a rare action, the vote sends the package to the full Legislature months before the constitutional deadline.

Lawmakers voted to limit welfare, cap the number of doctor visits for the poor, end the Adult Day Health Care program for the elderly and eliminate redevelopment agencies, among other reductions, to close California's $26.6 billion deficit.

A vote by the full Legislature on the plan, which includes $14 billion in additional taxes, could come as early as Wednesday. Also Thursday, the state's leading business group signaled it would support the plan and defend individual lawmakers who take heat if they vote for it.

While Democrats on the conference committee voting on the plan approved the cuts, Republicans voted against many of them because they said the plan had too few details or the cuts were tied to the tax proposal.Democrats at several points noted their difficulty in voting for the proposals.

"Unfortunately, given the severity of the crisis, ... California is going to look a little different by the time we get to the end of the budget season," said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who was the leading Senate Democrat on the committee. He called the elimination of redevelopment agencies "earth-shaking for many stakeholders."

Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills (Los Angeles County), chaired the committee and said that in taking the actions, "I'm so far out of my comfort zone I feel like Charlie Sheen at a rehab clinic."

While the legislators voted to dismantle redevelopment agencies and the Adult Day Health Care program, lawmakers said they would work to create new, more efficient programs to take their place over the next few months.

After the vote, Blumenfield said he doesn't want day health centers to "close their doors." Lawmakers approved eliminating all but $85 million of the $176 million program and will use that money to launch a new program to provide medical care and other assistance to low-income, disabled and elderly adults.

On redevelopment agencies, which have the strong backing of local officials who are waging an all-out counterattack on that part of the plan, lawmakers said they would work to create a mechanism for local governments to have their own similar agencies that wouldn't siphon property tax dollars from counties and cities as the current program does.

Backers of redevelopment agencies on Thursday called the plan to eliminate the agencies unconstitutional, and they have vowed to take the issue to the courts.

Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, praised the committee's action, which also increased the general fund reserve by several hundred million dollars to $1.1 billion.

"The conference committee today made some bold decisions and I commend their work and their willingness to face the tough challenges that this year's budget presents," Brown said in a released statement.

Trims and limits

In addition to those actions, the committee also voted to:

-- Limit the time that adult recipients of CalWORKS, the welfare-to-work program, can be part of the program from five years to four years.

-- Cut $486 million from the In-Home Supportive Services program for the elderly and disabled, partly by requiring certification that the care is necessary.

-- Cap the number of annual doctor visits for people on Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, at seven, but allow an exemption if a doctor certifies more visits are medically necessary.

-- Eliminate enterprise tax zones and implement the governor's plan to move some public safety services from the state to the local level, a process called realignment.

-- Cut another $50 million from services for the developmentally disabled on top of $527 million already agreed to.

Health advocates who previously have praised Democrats for blocking cuts to the safety net blasted Thursday's action.

"It's hard to overstate the severity of health cuts in the budget, as they will be felt directly by hundreds of thousands of patients, by the over 8 million Californians with Medi-Cal or Healthy Families coverage, and by all of us who want our health system to be there for us when we need it." said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, which works for affordable access to health care.

Plan called 'half-baked'

Republicans on the committee voted against many of the proposals, including the public safety realignment. Sen. Robert Huff, R-Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County), called the plan "half-baked" because it relies on the additional taxes, while Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber (Tehama County), said he had "grave reservations" about consequences for the public.

The effort to win votes for a budget deal was given a boost by the California Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, as Allan Zaremberg, president and CEO of the powerful organization, said the group could support a "comprehensive plan" that included bipartisan backing to close the budget deficit.

While he did not commit to supporting a tax increase, he ruled out support for a budget that erases the deficit through cuts alone. Legislative leaders are seeking to put the additional taxes on a June ballot.

He also said the chamber would provide backing for those criticized for a budget compromise vote.

"It's important for them to know and people to know there's going to be support for them if they participate in a solution that is comprehensive and helps solve the budget crisis," Zaremberg said. The chamber backed a failed 2009 measure to extend the same taxes now being proposed and spent money to defend a lawmaker who was subjected to an unsuccessful recall attempt for his vote.

"I welcome the forthright and positive message of the California Chamber of Commerce," Brown said in a statement. "It is apparent that momentum is now building for a bipartisan budget solution that includes spending cuts and a temporary extension of current taxes."