Senate Democrats Issue Budget Challenge

Senate Democrats unveiled a plan Friday to restore $349 million to the state budget, much of it for state and local health programs and aid to higher education.

The proposal is a direct challenge to Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, who has asked the Legislature to add $322 million to the $44-billion budget he signed last month. But most of the money Deukmejian proposed adding--$190 million--would go to counties to pay for the operation of trial courts.

The Democratic budget plan contains no trial-court funding and instead provides additional cash to counties to provide health care to the poor, expand AIDS treatment and prevention, help keep open local trauma centers and expand community mental health programs.

Assailed by Democrat

Sen. Alfred E. Alquist (D-San Jose), who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, in a press release outlining the Democratic plan, criticized the governor’s proposal for “failing to meet the health needs of our communities.”

The Democratic plan would also add $76 million for higher education--$30 million for the University of California, $35 million for the California State University system, and $11 million for student aid. In contrast, Deukmejian wants to restore $25 million for the University of California and $13 million for the state universities, but would offer no additional amount for student grants.

“We cannot permit the best public higher education system in the nation to become second-rate,” Alquist said. “The inadequate support suggested by the governor will block many Californians from attending our universities. This is intolerable.”

Two-Thirds Vote Needed

Any final settlement of the budget issue will require approval by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and Assembly, as well as agreement from the governor.

Last month, when Deukmejian finished paring $472 million from the budget sent to him by the Legislature, he praised lawmakers “for making a serious effort to send me a balanced budget with a prudent reserve.” He also indicated that he was anxious to restore funds for several Administration-backed programs that the Legislature had removed, but only for spending that he supports. Specifically, he has asked for $190 million to fully fund the operation of the trial courts, now a county responsibility.

The governor’s office on Friday made it clear that Deukmejian has not backed away from that position and faulted the Democratic plan for failing to include money for the trial courts, as they had agreed to do last year.

Commitment Recalled

“It is unfortunate that the Senate Democrats are so eager to abandon the commitment that the Legislature made last year to the counties when the trial-court funding bill was approved,” said Tom Beermann, the governor’s assistant press secretary.

Like the governor’s budget proposal, the Democratic plan would require no new taxes, and it would leave the state with a reserve of close to $600 million.

The plan has not been put to a formal vote of Senate Democrats, according to an aide to Alquist, but was circulated among them this week and received wide support. Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) supports the proposal, an aide said Friday.

It would provide an added $100 million for county health care for the poor, $20 million to help prop up financially ailing trauma centers, an extra $10 million for AIDS programs, and $25 million in added money for community mental health programs.

The Senate Democrats’ plan would also provide $6 million of the $8 million that Deukmejian has asked for to promote tourism in California. But it also includes $500,000 in added money for the state Coastal Commission. The commission has been a favorite Deukmejian budget target, and this year he slashed its budget by $944,000, or 11%.