Governor Continues Push for Measures on Special Election Ballot

At a forum at the Los Angeles Times building Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) stumped for measures on the May 19 special election ballot and dismissed some conservatives' assertion that the state's budget problems could be attributed to undocumented immigrants, the Los Angeles Times reports (Halper, Los Angeles Times, 4/16).

Schwarzenegger acknowledged that health care and other services for undocumented immigrants cost the state about $6 billion annually but said the state budget deficit could be traced to larger problems with the budget process (Blood, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 4/15).

To address the situation, Gov. Schwarzenegger urged voters to approve the budget-related measures on the special election ballot, including initiatives that would shift funds from special state accounts for mental health services and early childhood education (Los Angeles Times, 4/15).

Proposition 1D would shift funds from First 5, which was created in 1998 when voters approved Proposition 10 to increase the state tobacco tax to fund early childhood health care and education programs.

In fiscal year 2009-2010, the measure would shift as much as $608 million in Proposition 10 revenue to the state general fund for other state health and human services programs for children who are not older than age five.  The measure would shift as much as $268 million to the state general fund in each of the next four fiscal years.

Proposition 1E would shift $226.7 million from mental health care programs that Proposition 63 funds to the existing Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program for low-income children for two years. 

In 2004, voters approved Proposition 63, which increased the state income tax on high-income Californians to fund mental health services (California Healthline, 4/13).

Other measures would adopt a state spending cap, borrow against future lottery revenue and freeze pay for elected state officials when there is a budget deficit (Los Angeles Times, 4/16).

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