Budget Panel Will Seek Subpoenas to Break Boycott : Spending: Head of committee threatens Administration after officials obey Wilson’s order to not attend hearings.

The Democratic chairman of the Legislature’s budget-writing committee said Friday he will subpoena Wilson Administration officials unless they agree to appear before his panel to detail the impact of cuts Republican Gov. Pete Wilson is considering for prisons, health, welfare and other programs.

Sen. Alfred E. Alquist of San Jose, chairman of the Senate-Assembly conference committee on the budget, issued the threat after Administration officials boycotted a committee hearing called to examine the effect of reductions as deep as 25% in the Department of Corrections and the Youth Authority.

“If they don’t accept our invitation to appear, if they are so reluctant to let the taxpayers know what they’re doing with their money, we will ask for subpoenas for them,” Alquist told reporters.

Wilson opposes a tax increase and has said the budget he proposed in January cannot be balanced without cuts of 15% to 32%, depending on the level of funding granted to public education.

But the governor will not disclose the specific cuts he is considering, preferring to meet privately with legislative leaders to draft a consensus that could be moved quickly through the Assembly and Senate before opponents have a chance to build their cases.

The Administration took a step back from the confrontation Friday by sending its deputy finance director, Steven Olsen, to the hearing to speak generally about potential cuts in the prison system. He said the Administration was reviewing options similar to those outlined by legislative analyst Elizabeth Hill.

Hill gave the committee several options for cutting as much as $1.1 billion, or 30%, from the prison system’s budget. They included closing three prisons, releasing inmates before the end of their sentences, refusing to accept inmates sentenced to less than four months, eliminating parole supervision and all educational, vocational, religious and counseling programs.

Olsen said Wilson has not ruled out cuts that would lead to the early release of some inmates, which he said is the only way to save significant amounts in the prison budget.

“We’ve got $38 billion to spend (next fiscal year),” Olsen said, compared to the $44 billion the state is to spend in the year ending June 30. “That’s all we’ve got to spend. You’re going to have to reduce services. It’s as simple as that. All of these options are going to have to be considered and ultimately what they do is going to be very unpleasant, in this area and other areas.”

Olsen said Wilson has no intention of sending the prisons director or secretary of health and welfare to brief the conference committee.

“His feeling is the public testimony of his agency secretaries and department directors might have the unintended effect of making the job of leadership more difficult,” Olsen said.