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Legislative Education and
Advocacy for Children
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Time For Kids is involved in supporting programs that serve children at-risk in
California's elementary schools. Our efforts include providing grants to locally
funded programs, visiting programs, talking with educators and program staff
that serve children, seeking information about effective program models and
educating legislators about current programs, fiscal needs and the needs of
children. Advocacy is an important part of our mission.
May 2010 - Once again, against all odds, EMHI continues to be in the State budget for 2010-2011. This is due perhaps to a bit of luck, but also to your tireless efforts on behalf of EMHI. Your letters, post cards, phone calls and emails, as always, have been very effective in letting legislators know about EMHI and about how important early intervention/prevention programs are. Time For Kids made legistlative visits between January and March of this year to forge new relationships and reinforce old ones among key staff and legislators. Our joint efforts paid off.
As always, we cannot let up in our efforts to educate legislators and the governor about the importance of early intervention programs. Letters, emails, and visits to legislators are always needed.
Sample letters, addresses and phone/fax numbers of legislators on the key
subcommittees will be put on this web site. While all input
matters, it is especially important to write if you are a constituent of one of
the legislators on the key subcommittees. If we, as an organization, have
learned anything in the past five years, it is that YOUR VOICE
MATTERS!!!
For further information about
legislative proceedings, visit www.senate.ca.gov or
www.assembly.ca.gov. On these websites, the Daily File includes
schedules and information about the committee hearings. Visit links to the
subcommittees of the Budget Committee to find hearing agendas. You can even
listen to many of the hearings online. The websites also provide assistance with
finding your legislator, links to home pages of each legislator and links to
legislative bills.
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A
bit of history about funding for the Early Mental Health Initiative:
Prior to the
statewide budget cuts of 2003, EMHI was funded at $15 million, which was divided
approximately equally between grants in first, second and third years of
funding. As the funding cycle is three years, new grants were allocated each
year from funds made available as third year grants cycled off their grants. Funding for EMHI was reduced to $10 million in 2003-2004, but restored to $15 million in 2006-2007 thanks to the dedicated efforts of many people across the state. EMHI has continued to be funded at the $15 million level since then. We are hoping that funding will be increased and extended to fifth and sixth graders at some future time.
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| How the legislative budget process works (a simplified outsiders view) | Top of Page |
| Each January, the governor announces his budget proposal for the
following fiscal year. Following his proposal, both houses of the legislature
begin hearings to respond to the governor's budget and create their own budget
proposals. The hearings begin in subcommittees which, in turn, make their
recommendations to the full Budget Committees. Each house approves a final
budget proposal. Members of the two houses meet to negotiate a final legislative
budget which is approved by both houses and sent to the governor. The governor
has the option to approve or disapprove of various items in the budget. At the
end of the process, the governor and leaders of the legislature meet for final
negotiations. It is up to the legislative budget
subcommittees to consider approval of funding for EMHI. Since EMHI is
administered by the DMH, but is funded by Proposition 98, the budget item are heard in both the Education and Health and Human Services Budget
Subcommittees. Hearings continue through the spring, with final
recommendations developed by the subcommittees after the governor announces the
"May Revise"-adjustments to the budget proposal based on the latest revenue and
spending information. If the Senate and Assembly both support
funding for EMHI, it will be up to the governor to accept or reject that funding
level. Vocal support for the effort is always needed from citizens throughout the
process.
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