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California Church
IMPACT • 2715 K St, Ste. D •
Sacramento, CA 95816 • (916) 442-5447
Email: IMPACTinfo@calchurches.org Website: www.calchurches.org
Legislative News ALERT #4 April 26, 2002
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COLUMN:
Welfare Reform Legislation is a big disappointment--Action
Needed NOW!!!
I was present at the House Subcommittee on Human Resources two weeks
ago as it heard testimony concerning Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) reauthorization legislation, the nation’s
welfare program. TANF, originally passed by Congress in 1996, is
due to expire on September 30 of this year.
Several religious groups--including the National Council of Churches,
Network (a Catholic social justice lobby), the Unitarian Universalist
Service Committee, and Call to Renewal (a non-denominational evangelical
Christian anti-poverty group)--testified, and other religious groups
presented written statements. The chairman of the subcommittee,
Wally Herger (R-Redding) however, had already introduced his own
very slightly altered version of the Bush Administration's proposal
(HR 4090) the day before the hearing. The following week, the House
subcommittee passed Herger proposal (HR 4090) strictly along party
lines, with all Republicans supporting the Herger legislation and
all Democrats opposed.
HR 4090, unfortunately, falls far short of the principles for welfare
reform endorsed by the religious community. Among the amendments
rejected by the committee were two proposals supported by the religious
community -- making poverty reduction a purpose of the legislation
and increasing federal aid for childcare.
Please contact your House member now to express your opposition
to HR 4090. Encourage your Representative to vote for amendments
on the House floor to make poverty reduction a purpose of the legislation
and to increase federal aid for child care. Call the Capitol Switchboard
number 202-224-3121 and the operator can connect you to your representative.
For more information on HR 4090, check out the California Budget
Project website at www.cbp.org
--Scott Anderson
Budget
Woes
The state of California is facing what is now declared to be a $20
billion deficit. We are coming up on the “May revise”
of the budget in which the Governor alters his spending and program
priorities in light of income projections. The Governor’s
new budget is due out May 14 or 15, and Impact will let you know
the status of all of future legislative priorities in light of the
undoubtedly bad news. One piece of good news is that we have been
told that money for afterschool programs remains intact. That will
influence two of the bills we are tracking vigorously. See AB 1984
and SB 1478 below.
VLF Fee Rollback
Thanks to all of you who wrote and emailed the governor and your
legislators concerning AB 1753 by Assemblymember Carole Migden (D-San
Francisco) which was the “trigger bill” to implement
existing law mandating a reinstatement of the original vehicle license
fee (VLF) rates. She could not get the bill past the Assembly Budget
committee, and it died. The good news from Migden’s office
is that the Governor himself may include the VLF rollback in his
budget. CC Impact will keep you posted.
High School Afterschool Pilot Programs
AB 1984 by Assemblymember Darryl Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and SB
1478 by Senator Bruce McPherson (R-Santa Cruz) are identical bills.
These bills authorize that of the projected $45 million for afterschool
programs, $5 million will be directed to proposed pilot programs
to set up afterschool programs for high school students. CC Impact
staff have been lobbying these two bills since it is this unserved
youth population that may benefit most from such efforts. The data
on the benfits of afterschool care is impressive – involvement
in vandalism drops by 300% and theft by 200%,while school attendance
and performance soar among those who regularly participate in afterschool
programs. High school students have no such publicly-funded programs
, and these pilot projects will at least determine if they work
for that vulnerable age group. Please write your legislators in
support of thesetwo outstanding bills.
Extension of Time in CalWORKS for Completing Education and Training
AB 2386 by Assembly member Fred Keeley (D-Boulder Creek) has created
a multi-part bill offering exemptions to the 18- or 24-week limits
on certain benefits from Cal WORKS, California’s welfare reform
system. Benefits would continue past those times if the recipient:
is enrolled in an education or training program that requires more
time to complete and that will lead to significant career improvements;
is progressing more slowly because she or he is also working; or
he or she has medical or some other condition that slows the progress
through a training program. This bill makes no change in the overall
time limits for CalWORKS recipients. However, this extension is
a manifestation of economic justice and fair opportunity. The point
of CalWORKS is to have people leave welfare for self-sufficiency
,not just to march woodenly to another dead-end job or to repeat
the cycle of dependence. This bill keeps the spirit as well as the
fact of welfare-to-work mandates, and it offers people a real chance
to improve their lives. Please write your legislator to support
this bill.
Social Services for People in Drug Rehabilitation Programs
AB 1947 by Assemblymember Carl Washington (D-Paramount) is an act
of restorative justice. Currently drug felons are prohibited from
receiving any social services for the remainder of their lives following
parole. However, the failure to provide rehabilitation and economic
support for even those seeking drug treatment has left the state
with massive social costs. The “revolving door” of drug
use, crime, imprisonment, release, and further drug use costs the
state billions annually. Incarceration alone costs $25,000 per person
annually. Authorized residential drug treatment programs are about
$10,000 per person per year, and after 8-12 months show an enormous
benefit. The drop in recidivism – repeat offenses –
is impressive. The most successful programs involve those participants
who have a “floor” under themselves and their families
so that they have no need to resume drugs and crime just to cope
with economic hardships. This bill would authorize basic social
services for those offenders who used but did not sell drugs and
who are faithfully enrolled in authorized rehabilitation programs.
Ending the cycle of drugs and crime is an outstanding social good.
Please write your legislators in support of AB 1947.
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