PCL Insider: News from the Capitol
SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION: BUDGETS,
INVESTMENTS AND ALL THINGS GREEN
THE COMMITTEES THAT STOPPED TIME: ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS MAY
FLOAT IN STATE OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION
Though it may sound like the plot of a bad ghost story, it's
actually the real tale of the two Appropriations Committees of
the California Legislature and the power these mythical bodies
hold over potential environmental legislation.
Our story begins in the ancient Rules of Government where we
learn why these twin committees matter so devilishly much...
Any proposed measure that may have a fiscal impact to the
State of California, (i.e. it costs money to implement, it
appropriates State money, or it requires local agencies to
undertake new activities), must run the gauntlet of the
Appropriations Committee of both Houses on its journey to the
Governor's desk.
Unfortunately, there are always more good policy ideas than
available funds. That's why the Appropriations Committees send
some bills to the "Suspense File" (cue lightning flashes and
crashing thunder).
If a measure is projected to cost more than $150,000, the
Appropriations Committee automatically places it "on suspense"
so that all such bills can be reviewed carefully in light of
available funds. While bills on suspense are not
officially dead, they sit in what we euphemistically call a
state of suspended animation. Not to put too fine a point on it,
it's not a good place to be. And the ghastly tale of
woe gets worse. If a bill is placed on suspense it may not
be passed out of the committee in time to meet the June 1st
deadline, destroying its chances of becoming law this year.
But there's a catch! The Appropriations Committee may choose
to take a bill off the suspense file and bring it up for a vote.
That's why PCL staff will be launching into a heroic frenzy
throughout the month of May (complete with dashing outfits
and exaggerated pantomime), advocating that good
environmental bills be taken off suspense and given the gift of
life.
Eerily, all the bills that PCL is sponsoring this year have
been marked for the Appropriations Committee. We're counting on
PCL members and devoted PCL Insider readers to help us
educate the committee about the importance of these bills so
that we can reach to the sky and scream, "It's Alive!"
One parting thought – We just noticed the deadline for
the passage of the State Budget: Friday, June 15, 2007 by
the stroke of midnight. So what happens if they're a few
minutes late? We shudder to think.
FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY, RISK FOR
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
As the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation,
the nation's largest conservation organization, PCL often gets
the inside scoop on hot federal issues that impact California's
environment. Recently, we've heard from the State Environmental
Leadership Program (SELP), another watchdog on the Hill, that
the fate of federal environmental spending is currently up in
the air.
Here's the scoop:
In early February, the President submitted his budget
proposal to Congress, detailing the overall amount of money the
Administration believes the federal government should spend,
setting funding levels for specific programs, and outlining any
changes in taxes.
It's no surprise that the President's budget proposal calls
for permanent tax cuts for the wealthy and further cuts in
domestic programs, including significant cuts to those that
protect, enhance, or restore the environment.
Once the budget committees of the House and Senate received
the President's proposal, they each began developing Budget
Resolutions for their full Chamber to consider. These
resolutions are not law, but they serve as Congress' official
blueprint for spending and taxing and lay down important
controls on the spending decisions for the year, including a cap
on total annual appropriations.
And now it gets complicated:
This year, the national Democratic leadership adopted a
"pay-as-you-go" principle for the federal budget. This means
that any cuts in taxes or new spending requirements that would
increase the federal deficit must be balanced by other revenue
increases or spending reductions. In effect, the rule makes
additional tax cuts that make environmental spending harder to
pass.
At this point, both the House and the Senate have approved
their own resolutions and will soon be "in conference" to
compromise on a final Joint Resolution that carries out their
pay-as-you-go principle.
This year, the most critical difference between the House and
Senate versions is the size of the spending cap on annual
appropriations. The House version would increase domestic
spending by $12 billion after allowing for inflation, $5 billion
more than the Senate version.
It's important for Congress to establish a Joint Budget
Resolution with the highest possible appropriations cap because
the higher the overall cap is set, the more money Congress has
available to spend on critical environmental programs. This
means we have a brief window of opportunity to make the case for
a cap that allows for more environmental funding.
This is where you can make a difference!
Please let your senators and representatives know where you
stand on California's critical environmental needs and urge them
to make the environment a priority for federal budget
investments.
Contact Senator
Barbara Boxer and Senator
Dianne Feinstein through their Senate websites.
Contact your member of the House of Representatives by using the
Secretary
of State's website.
BIDDING FOR A BETTER WORLD –ONLINE AUCTION BEGINS MAY
1ST
In just five days, the State Environmental Leadership Program
will launch its "Bid for
a Better World" online auction. As an affiliate of the
Leadership Program, PCL is proud to help spread the word. But
there's no time to waste! The event only runs through May 25th
so check it out today!
The on-line auction catalog is full of unique and exciting
items:
- Picture yourself and two guests soaring over the southern
Appalachian Mountains during a 45 minute aerial
tour.
- Plan ahead for a fun-filled winter and place your bid on a
cozy Patagonia "White Smoke" ski jacket.
- Feast your eyes (and ears) on a Sears Silvertone
Twin Twelve Amplifier, perfect for any audiophile or
vintage stereo equipment collector.
They're adding more items like these each day so keep
checking back and remember to bookmark the website: http://www.selp.cmarket.com.
Don't miss your chance to bid for a better world!
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