Legislators’ Pet Projects on Capitol’s Center Stage

After weeks of debating megabuck issues like Gov. George Deukmejian’s proposed $700-million tax rebate, lawmakers Wednesday began final deliberations on a $40-billion-plus state budget by arguing for pet projects popular with local constituents.

The big-ticket items, like funding for education and health programs, were temporarily put on the back burner while 60 lawmakers went through one of the most enduring budget-season rituals: pleading for park, public works and other projects popular with voters back home.

The pleas were made to a six-member conference committee appointed by the Senate and Assembly to fashion a compromise budget to send to Gov. George Deukmejian.

As the conference committee began its work, the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget were $1 billion apart. The Senate’s $42-billion version of the budget, the higher of the two, is $1.1 billion more than the governor’s spending plan. Under the Constitution, the Legislature has until June 15 to get the budget to the governor, after which he can reduce or veto individual spending items.

Governor’s Threat

Despite the governor’s threat that he will veto excessive spending, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers were in a mood to spend Wednesday.

Assemblyman Ross Johnson (R-La Habra) asked budget negotiators to put $1.1 million in next year’s budget to purchase land in Slaughter Canyon for the Chino Hills State Park, one of many individual requests for park projects that surfaced Wednesday.

Making it sound like a deal too good to pass up, Johnson told budget negotiators that land could be bought today for $8,000 an acre but warned that it may go up to a $50,000 an acre as the area is developed.

Assembly Majority Floor Leader Thomas M. Hannigan (D-Fairfield), like many fellow lawmakers appearing before the committee, had his eye on a share of the hundreds of millions in transportation dollars that will be spent in the new 1987-88 fiscal year beginning July 1.

Specifically, he argued for $40,000 to pay for what he described as “an information kiosk,” that would be erected alongside a major highway running through his district, Interstate 80, and advertise hotels and motels in Vallejo, his birthplace.

Ferry Project

Hannigan also asked for $765,700 to partially pay for construction of a passenger terminal in Vallejo for a ferry project he is promoting that would link the Solano County city to San Francisco. The ferry across San Francisco Bay, he said, will “help ease traffic congestion on the nearby I-80 corridor.”

Several lawmakers, including Hannigan, sought money to protect small creatures. Hannigan argued for $100,000 to finance research aimed at preventing the extinction of the spotted owl.

Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego) went to bat for $250,000 to protect an endangered songbird, the least Bell’s vireo, whose habitat is threatened by San Diego County development.

More traditional items on the lawmakers’ shopping lists were public works projects and special grants.

Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) asked for $500,000 to complete construction of a community center in Santa Paula.

Sen. Don Rogers (R-Bakersfield) asked for $300,000 to finance a special instructional television network at California State College, Bakersfield.

Not all the requests were as small. Assemblyman Bruce Bronzan (D-Fresno) asked the committee to increase funding for the Medi-Cal program by $125 million, a major element in a proposed package of health benefits for the poor.