Wilson Urges More Than $100 Million for Local Projects : Budget: The bulk of the money is for completion of the Lancaster prison. The governor also proposes a large share for education.

In his “very tight” $60.2-billion state budget unveiled Thursday, Gov. Pete Wilson included at least $101 million for San Fernando Valley-area projects, including widening the Golden State Freeway, acquiring parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains and opening a state prison in Lancaster.

More than half the money--$59 million--is for the controversial 2,200-bed prison in the Antelope Valley, including finishing buildings, hiring workers and starting to move in prisoners in October.

But with the Republican gover nor pushing to cut a variety of programs for the poor, the fate of the budget is uncertain in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, which must approve a spending plan by June 30.

Also adding to the air of anxiety in the Capitol is the $1.3-billion deficit facing the governor and lawmakers in the current budget.

Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) said his concern with Wilson’s proposal is that the governor doesn’t address how the deficit will be eliminated.

In the Valley area, about $49 million would be set aside for salaries, utilities, food and other items to allow the prison to open its doors in October. Another $10 million is proposed to finish construction.

The prison, mandated by the Legislature in 1987, was opposed by Antelope Valley civic leaders who fought the west Lancaster site. Lancaster and Los Angeles County filed lawsuits to block the prison, but their case was rejected last year.

Besides the prison, the big winner in the San Fernando Valley area is education.

Katz said Wilson has proposed $712,000 for a learning resource center at Mission College in Sylmar and $15 million for construction projects at Cal State Northridge, including $12.6 million for a new engineering building that would house faculty offices and provide much-needed laboratory space to replace facilities built 30 years ago.

Katz said these projects have been on the drawing boards for several years and that the budget makes no money available for new building projects.

Elsewhere in the area, Wilson has proposed spending $1.4 million for a child-care development facility at Antelope Valley Community College.

The governor proposed spending $15 million to widen the Golden State Freeway at the Hollywood Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

Under the budget, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy would receive $10 million from an earlier bond measure.

Wilson also repeated a pledge to include $48 million for the conservancy in a $628-million bond measure planned for the June ballot. Wilson said the funds would be used to purchase a wildlife corridor linking the Santa Monica Mountains, the Simi Hills and the Santa Susana Mountains.

Citing the tight budget situation, Joseph T. Edmiston, the conservancy’s executive director, said, “Under the circumstances, we got treated fairly.”

Valley-area lawmakers said they had not had a chance to review the full budget proposal, but reaction to Wilson’s State of the State address delivered Wednesday night was along party lines.

Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills), serving her first term, said she is “delighted to know that education will be funded” through Wilson’s budget. “Our kids are vital and our education system is vital,” she said.

But veteran Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) described the address as “one of the worst ones I ever heard.” Wilson failed to “promise anything is going to change” if the Legislature implements his spending plan. “There’s nothing to indicate the future will look brighter,” Rosenthal said.

One voice missing from the budget debate will be former Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), who last November resigned his seat after agreeing to plead guilty to federal political corruption charges.

As a member of the joint Senate-Assembly budget conference committee, Robbins wielded great influence in budget debates, helping funnel state funds to pet projects in the Valley.

Sen. Ed Davis (R-Santa Clarita) described his former colleague as probably “the most assiduous pursuer of the interests of the Valley. He actually pursued the interests of the Valley better than most people do their individual districts.”

Where Money Is Headed The proposed budget includes at least $101 million for the San Fernando Valley area.

* Antelope Valley State Prison: $59 million

* Golden State Freeway widening in Sun Valley: $15 million

* Cal State Northridge construction projects: $15 million

* Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy: $10 million

* Antelope Valley Community College, child-care center: $1.4 million

* Mission College, learning resource center: $712,000

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