AM Alert: Recess
Monday, July 27, 2009
- Organization: The Sacramento Bee
After pulling an all-nighter last week wrangling over a $24 billion fiscal plan to close the deficit, lawmakers are gone for some recess rest and relaxation.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the bills Tuesday, but first he's going to have to take out his knife.
Two significant provisions in the budget revision package failed, meaning Schwarzenegger is looking to trim as much as an additional $1.1 billion from the package with his blue pen.
That's got some health and welfare advocates wondering what's left on the chopping block after several rounds of deep cuts in the past year.
"There are whole programs that are eviscerated or suspended or ... are only a shadow of their former self. So it will be interesting to see what he finds," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition.



