State Senate Narrowly OKs Storm Aid Bill

The Senate narrowly overcame surprise opposition Thursday and voted to spend $18 million in state disaster relief funds to repair local public facilities damaged by the recent storms.

With no votes to spare, the “helping hand” bill for 38 flood- and storm-battered counties went to the Assembly on a 27-8 vote, the exact two-thirds margin required. Its prospects for Assembly approval are uncertain.

The closeness of the vote served notice that during tough budgetary times, approval of state-financed disaster aid to local government agencies no longer is a sure bet.

Historically, overwhelming passage of such bills has been routine as lawmakers put aside geographic and political differences to unite in helping Californians recover from flood, fire and earthquake disasters.

In the Senate on Thursday, however, last-minute opposition surfaced to providing emergency aid to local governments because state funds are scarce and state services face drastic reductions.

State Sen. Don Rogers (R-Tehachapi), who voted no, said the relief bill amounted to “asking (state) taxpayers to come up with money for charitable purposes.”

Another foe, state Sen. Daniel E. Boatwright (D-Concord), charged that local governments appear not to need disaster relief because they seem to have extra money available for investments in the stock market.

Targeting bankrupt Orange County’s investment practices, Boatwright told the Senate: “We ought to talk about paying our own (state) bills before we talk about helping people who have their own money invested.”

State Sen. Bill Leonard (R-Big Bear Lake) agreed that “it’s time to draw the line. Some of the local agencies are in better shape financially than we are.”

But proponents of the bill by state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) countered that natural disasters respect no governmental boundaries and that it was long-standing California policy for state taxpayers to help finance recovery and rebuilding efforts.

“We’ve done it every time,” said state Sen. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), author of a separate flood relief plan that was approved last week with only one dissenting vote, from state Sen. Tom Campbell (R-Stanford).

Campbell complained that it was wrong to provide tax relief for flood victims who chose to live and do business in flood-prone communities but refused to purchase flood insurance.