Calif. Supreme Court To Review Governor’s Line-Item Vetoes, Furloughs
On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court granted a hearing to Democratic leaders and social service agencies who argue that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) exceeded his constitutional power when he used line-item vetoes to cut an additional $489 million from a July 2009 state budget revision, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/10).
The governor's vetoes cut an additional $316 million from health care and social service programs, including:
- $60.5 million from Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program;
- $52 million from HIV/AIDS programs;
- $50 million from Healthy Families, California's Children's Health Insurance Program;
- $6.2 million from the Department of Aging; and
- $4 million from the Department of Mental Health.
In March, California's First District Court of Appeal ruled 3-0 that Schwarzenegger acted within his constitutional authority when he used the line-item vetoes (California Healthline, 3/3).
Furloughs To Undergo Review
The state Supreme Court also has agreed to review three cases pending in a Sacramento appeals court about whether the governor has the authority to order furloughs for state employees (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/10).
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