Prop. 36 Funding
Survived Last Minute Budget Cuts
On
Friday, August 24, after one of
the state’s longest budget
stalemates, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed California’s 2007-08
budget into law. Before signing,
the governor made good on his promise
to eliminate an additional $703
million from the budget by using
his "blue pencil" powers,
but left funding for Prop. 36 at
$120 million—the level approved
by the legislature.
The governor has
the power to “blue pencil”,
or reduce or eliminate, funding
to any program before signing the
budget into law. He does not have
the power to increase funding.
Senate Republicans
had asked the governor to use his
blue pencil to eliminate all funding
to Prop. 36, but the program was
fortunately not part of the governor’s
last-minute cuts. This reflects
the outpouring
of support from advocates and legislators
during the contentious budget process,
including Senate President pro Tem
Don Perata.
The 2007-08 budget
provides $100 million for the Prop.
36 trust fund, and $20 million for
a separate Prop. 36 fund, called
the Offender Treatment Program.
The first fund is distributed to
all 58 counties, depending on need
(as determined by the California
Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs).
The second fund, however, requires
that counties match funds at a ratio
of 1:9. Counties unable, or unwilling,
to match funds cannot access OTP
funding.
On the one hand,
the fact that Prop. 36 will receive
$120 million this year is wonderful
news, especially given that many
other essential state programs that
provide critical services were cut
or eliminated.
On the other hand, the funding level
is disappointing. The Prop. 36 trust
fund will receive $20 million less
in 2007-08 than it did the previous
year, and $40 million less than
the legislature’s budget committees
agreed earlier this year. Meanwhile,
health care and housing costs keep
increasing.
Prop. 36 is already
operating on a shoe string. Another
$20 million in cuts will mean that
more people end up on waiting lists
rather than in treatment programs—and,
as a result, some people will fail
simply because they are unable to
access treatment quickly enough.
But, because of
the outpouring of support, Prop.
36 received $120 million in funding
in 2007-08 rather than possibly
much less or nothing at all. This
means that 36,000 people convicted
of low-level non-violent drug offences
will continue to have access to
drug treatment. There are already
more than 70,000 Prop. 36 graduates
who can attest to the importance
of this opportunity.
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