We have reported before about the “trigger,” a part of the budget deal where depending on the amount & type of money received through the federal economic recovery package, Treasurer Lockyet and Finance Director Genest have to make a decision by April 1st. At stake is whether an additional income tax and a series of additional cuts (including to Medi-Cal benefits) are made.
The Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle have stories.
There’s scheduled to be a hearing on Tuesday, March 17th, 10am at Room 4203 in the State Capitol. Treasurer Bill Lockyer is taking comments at his website, at:
http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/10B_BudgetTrigger/index.asp
The question is whether we hit a $10 billion threshold from federal funds. Let’s be clear: California is getting a lot more than $10 billion from the economic stimulus package; the question is what “counts” toward the threshold. The question is how much federal funds go to the state general fund, and when it comes
There’s a huge amount at stake, from cuts to public hospitals to Medi-Cal benefits. Most concerning is the potential elimination of dental coverage for 3 million parents, seniors, and people with disabilities. If this cut is made, it will be very hard to build that infrastructure back up.