A state Senate subcommittee dominated by Democrats today rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to eliminate many social and health services, including the entire welfare and home health care assistance programs, if the state doesn't receive billions of dollars in extra federal aid.
Subcommittee chairman Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, denounced Schwarzenegger's plans after hearing hours of testimony from program recipients and program managers about the effects of such cuts.
Leno declared "100 percent rejection" of reducing the In-Home Supportive Services program, which provides care for about 400,000 aged and disabled Californians. "How much destruction does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger want to leave in his wake?" Leno asked rhetorically.
Schwarzenegger's 2010-11 budget assumes California will receive an extra $6.9 billion in federal health and social services support. The governor would reduce spending in those areas if the federal money is forthcoming and says he would eliminate them if the federal money doesn't appear. So far, there's been no indication that President Barack Obama and Congress will respond positively to the request.
Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, has criticized the Legislature for not moving faster on budget cuts.
Budget discussions have been stalled, awaiting administration revisions due in May. Leno and other Democrats say they hope the state will not only see more federal aid but that a recent surge in state revenues will result in a stronger revenue estimate for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
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