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 On February 20, the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) released its analysis of the Governor's proposed state budget for FY 2008-2009 and took the unprecedented step of outlining proposals to help close the nearly $8 billion budget gap remaining after the mid-year cuts the Legislature passed last week.
The Governor's budget proposal for FY 08-09 would slash funding for natural resources and environmental protection programs by 22% below estimated expenditures for the current fiscal year, investing $2.1 billion less than it does today. The impacts would be felt across California. For example, Californians would see the closure of 48 state parks and the loss of personnel from the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The LAO budget proposal for Resources and Environmental Protection avoids some of these budget cuts while ensuring that Californians continue to benefit from essential resource and environmental protection programs, departments, and services. It recommends increasing fees on polluters and beneficiaries of environmental services including fire protection in wildland areas, flood management, water quality management and water rights regulation, timber harvest plan review and enforcement, and state parks. These specific LAO budget proposals would raise $345 million dollars to wean these programs off unstable General Fund sources and avoid the closure of 48 state parks.
The LAO proposal also calls on the Governor to find a stable and lasting source of funding in the budget to implement AB 32, The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
For more information please contact Tina Andolina.
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