Alliance Action Alert for August 15

The Alliance for the CSU sent out this action alert yesterday, about ACA (Assembly Constitutional Amendment) 19. ACA 19 failed in committee by a vote of 15 to 10. We reproduce the email alert here for your information only; the action called for is not needed now (though a thank you to members who voted No couldn't hurt).
Note: We've made one addition to the message: in the list of committee members to contact, we've included a column showing how each one voted.

The Sacramento Bee reports that Assembly Speaker Karen Bass plans to force a budget vote tomorrow, Sunday. The Assembly's web site states the Assembly has adjourned until Sunday, August 17, 2008, at 3:00 p.m. or upon call of the Speaker.

The Bee also reports that Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said his chamber would hold a vote 'probably Sunday,' though he grew more tentative about those plans late Thursday. As of this writing, the Senate Daily File shows nothing scheduled until Monday.

ACTION ALERT
CA STATE ASSEMBLY TO ADDRESS BUDGET

The Assembly is preparing to act on the final budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09 and your urgent phone calls are needed-- TODAY!

As you know we were able to get an additional $100 million into the Governor's January budget but the "HARD SPENDING CAP" ACA19 (Villines)" that is being considered by the Assembly Budget Committee could have a devastating effect on future CSU budgets.

A mandatory spending limit or larger state reserve means that there will be no hope in future years of restoring CSU funding even to 2002 levels leaving our campuses locked into terrible budgets for years to come. We will not be the only ones harmed-K-12, the poor and uninsured and other public social services will suffer.

Please take a moment to let the legislature know that a mandatory spending limit or larger state reserve will not only do long term harm to education and other essential public services but it will limit our ability to restore prosperity to the state.

CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND TELL THEM TO:

1. VOTE AGAINST ACA19; AND
2. VOTE AGAINST ANY INCREASED STATE RESERVE THAT WILL FURTHER DEFUND OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND CONTINUE TO INADEQUATELY FUND PUBLIC HIGHER ED

[Editor's note: We've added a column showing how each member of the committee voted. A – means the member was absent, abstaining, or not voting.]

Member	Area	Phone Number	Vote
Roger Niello (R-05)	Sacramento	(916) 319-2005	Aye
Juan Arambula (D-31)	Central Valley	(916) 319-2031	No
Jim Beall (D-24)	San Jose	(916) 319-2024	No
John Benoit (R-64)	Riverside	(916) 319-2064	Aye
Patty Berg (D-01)	Humbolt, Sonoma	(916) 319-2001	No
Sam Blakeslee (R-33)	San Luis Obispo	(916) 319-2033	–
Julia Brownley (D-41)	LA	(916) 319-2041	No
Paul Cook (R-65)	Riverside, San Bernardino	(916) 319-2065	Aye
Hector De La Torre (D-50)	LA	(916) 319-2050	No
Chuck Devore (R-70)	Orange County	(916) 319-2070	Aye
Mike Duvall (R-72)	Orange County	(916) 319-2072	Aye
Bill Emmerson (R-63)	Riverside, San Bernardino	(916) 319-2063	Aye
Noreen Evans (D-07)	Sonoma	(916) 319-2007	–
Mike Feuer (D-42)	LA	(916) 319-2042	No
Jean Fuller (R-32)	Central Valley	(916) 319-2032	Aye
Mary Hayashi (D-18)	Bay Area	(916) 319-2018	No
Ed Hernandez (D-57)	LA	(916) 319-2057	No
Bob Huff (R-60)	Riverside, San Bernardino	(916) 319-2060	Aye
Dave Jones (D-09)	Sacramento	(916) 319-2009	No
Paul Krekorian (D-43)	LA	(916) 319-2043	No
Bill Maze (R-34)	Central Valley	(916) 319-2034	Aye
Gene Mullin (D-19)	Bay Area	(916) 319-2019	No
Ira Ruskin (D-21)	Bay Area	(916) 319-2021	No
Jim Silva (R-67)	Orange County	(916) 319-2067	Aye
Sandre Swanson (D-16)	Bay Area	(916) 319-2016	No
Lois Wolk (D-08)	Sacramento	(916) 319-2008	No

Your immediate action is needed and appreciated.

Links

• ACA 19
• Assembly Committee on Budget vote on ACA 19
• Assembly Committee on Budget
• California Assembly speaker plans a budget vote Sunday (Sacramento Bee)
• California budget hinges on spending limits for future economic recessions (Los Angeles Times)
• Latest gambit in state budget impasse (San Francisco Chronicle)
• California State Assembly
• Assembly Daily File
California State Senate Senate Daily File
• LegInfo [Editor's note: For Daily Files, try the Assembly and Senate pages. LegInfo seems to be having trouble and this morning is serving up files from previous months.]