This week, the Budget Conference Committee concluded deliberations on key Budget issues of difference between the State Senate and Assembly, including K-12, Higher education, Health, Human Services, Public Safety, Judicial, Labor, State Administration, General Government, Transportation, and Resources Budget issues.
The purpose of the Budget Conference Committee is for members from the Assembly and Senate to meet and reconcile Budget issues where they approved different actions pertaining to the same Budget items. A Conference Committee Report will be produced which will become the foundation for the final Budget. It is expected that in areas where the Budget Conference Committee is unable to reach a compromise, legislative leadership will meet privately with the Governor to finalize.
The Budget Conference Committee is comprised of both the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees, and includes:
- Chair, Assembly Member Phil Ting (D – San Francisco)
- Chair, Senator Holly Mitchell (D – Los Angeles)
- Assembly Member Phillip Chen (R –Diamond Bar)
- Assembly Member Kevin McCarty (D – Sacramento)
- Assembly Member Jay Obernolte (R – Big Bear Lake)
- Assembly Member Shirley Weber (D – San Diego)
- Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula (D – Fresno) (Alternate)
- Senator Ricardo Lara (D – Bell Gardens)
- Senator Richard Roth (D – Riverside)
- Senator Jim Nielsen (R – Gerber)
- Senator John Moorlach (R – Costa Mesa)
Key RCRC issues include funding for the Certified Unified Program Agencies, the Beverage Container Recycling Fund, the Community Development Block Grant Program, the State Responsibility Area fire prevention fees, the Governor’s Tree Mortality Task Force, and the issue of administration of justice.
The Legislature has until June 15, 2017 to pass the 2017-18 State Budget, and the enacted Budget is expected to take effect on July 1, 2017.