 |
 |
CALIFORNIA: Governor Seeks Repeal of New Laws The measures are costly, an aide says, but some of the Democratic authors think ideology is at work. By Clea Benson -- Bee Capitol Bureau Published 2:15 a.m. PST Wednesday, January 14, 2004 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to repeal more than a dozen new state laws written by Democrats that address a wide- ranging list of social issues -- such as requiring doctors to offer voluntary HIV tests to pregnant women and ensuring that social workers ask foster children to identify friends and family members who might adopt them. Many of the bills were approved in 2003 and became law Jan. 1, but have not yet been implemented. Finance Department spokesman H.D. Palmer said Tuesday that the governor wants to reverse the legislation because it wasn't clear how the state would pay for it. The governor decided to seek a repeal, rather than simply suspending the laws until money becomes available, as a "policy decision," Palmer said. "At a time when we're trying to close a $14 billion budget gap and at a time when we are asking existing state programs to endure budget cuts and cost controls, it's counterintuitive to start new state program expansions," Palmer said. The proposed repeals, which circulated this week on a list of legislation required to enact the governor's budget, took many Democrats by surprise. The authors of the bills on the Republican governor's list said the cost of implementing most of the legislation would be negligible. Some said Tuesday that they wondered whether the list reflected an ideological, not a financial, motive. Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, wrote a bill on the list for repeal that allows families of tissue donors to bar their relatives' remains from being used for cosmetic surgery. "I question whether there's someone in the bureaucracy who just doesn't philosophically support it," Speier said. "Is this an excuse to lump it in with other bills that have a fiscal impact? Because this bill certainly does not." Speier said the state Finance Department estimated the cost of implementing her bill at about $100,000 annually. Palmer said the list did not reflect an ideological bias. "This isn't a matter of merit," he said. "It's a matter of money." Also proposed for repeal: a law relaxing enrollment limits on some family day care homes; a law earmarking funds from tribal gaming for services to gambling addicts; and a bill setting up a system to provide legal and ethical advice on stem-cell research, among others. Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, who on Monday blasted the proposal to repeal the stem-cell research bill, reiterated his criticism Tuesday, calling it a "dumb idea." "It costs money if you appropriate money, but we're not, so why repeal them?" Burton asked. A repeal would take the approval of the Legislature. Burton said Democrats would not reverse the laws, many of which passed last year with overwhelming bipartisan support. Some of the bills' sponsors said their measures were designed to save the state money in the long run. "I think the governor is extremely short-sighted if he thinks repealing this law is going to save money," said Assemblyman John Dutra, D-Fremont, who wrote the legislation expanding HIV testing for pregnant women. "It's actually going to be very costly to the state, not only in terms of dollars but in pain and suffering." Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, sponsored the bill expanding efforts to place foster children in adoptive homes with friends or relatives. "If we are not more aggressive in finding permanent relationships for older children, these children end up spending years in very expensive group homes," he said. Steinberg, who also wrote a law on the list that allows families to remain eligible for food stamps if they own a car worth more than $4,600, said he is not overly concerned about the governor's proposals. "The budget we end up with in July will undoubtedly look much different than the budget proposed in January," he said. "I'm committed to doing everything I can to maintain these two bills in the law because they not only help people with real needs, but they also represent good budget policy." About the Writer --------------------------- The Bee's Clea Benson can be reached at (916) 326-5533 or [log in to unmask] SOURCE: Sacramento Bee, CA http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/8096807p-9029190c.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn