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California Update Volume 8, Issue 2 | March 30, 2004 |
1225 8th Street, Suite 590,
Sacramento, CA 95814 Ph: (916) 448-6762 Fax: (916) 448-6774 |
|
California Update Volume 8, Issue 2 | March 30, 2004 |
1225 8th Street, Suite 590,
Sacramento, CA 95814 Ph: (916) 448-6762 Fax: (916) 448-6774 |
CIWC Home > CIWC's Newsletter > Mar. 30, 2004
State Legislators Hold Hearings
on Cuts to Immigrant Progams
California
legislators have begun to hold public hearings on proposals by the
Schwarzenegger administration to cap immigrant enrollment into state health and
social services programs, and to transfer responsibility for providing many of
these services to the counties. The California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative
and dozens of other immigrant rights organizations and advocates throughout the
state have opposed the governor’s proposals, calling them a veiled attempt to
reduce or eliminate critical services for immigrants in California, including
children, seniors, pregnant women and working families.
The Schwarzenegger administration has proposed capping immigrant enrollment into Medi-Cal, including prenatal care, long-term care and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment program. As part of his attempt to lower the budget deficit, the governor has also proposed capping immigrant enrollment into CalWORKs for recent immigrants, as well as into the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), and Healthy Families for U.S. citizen and immigrant children.
Advocates have argued that the cost of denying food to families, and health care and critical support to children, seniors, pregnant women and others far outweighs any savings the state could achieve through the proposed cuts.
Senate Budget Subcommittee rejects proposed cuts. On Mar. 8, 2004, the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs heard testimony on proposed caps on immigrant enrollment into the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs, as well as on the proposal to block-grant the Healthy Families program for recently arrived immigrant children.
More than 40 organizations opposed the proposals, and consumers spoke eloquently about the impact these proposals would have on themselves and their families. One woman told the committee that if she had not had access to Medi-Cal, she would have faced a life of disability due to a hip injury that, without surgery, would have left her unable to walk. The subcommittee rejected all of the governor’s proposals, the majority voting against the Healthy Families cap and block grant proposals, and also against the cap on prenatal, long-term and breast and cervical cancer treatment programs. The vote to reject the proposed Medi-Cal caps for lawfully present immigrants was 4 to 0.
The Senate Subcommittee No. 3 (Health and Human Services) will hold a hearing on immigrant social services programs and the block grant proposal on Apr. 15, 2004. Advocates plan to present client testimony as well as information on the impact of the governor’s proposals. The subcommittee will hear testimony on the governor’s proposal to cap enrollment in the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), and CalWORKs for recent immigrants. The subcommittee will also review the governor’s proposal to block-grant the above programs to the counties.
CIWC opposes the block grant proposal, because it does not guarantee continued access to critical safety-net services for low-income immigrants, jeopardizing the health and safety of all Californians. Under the governor’s proposal, counties would be forced to create their own systems for delivering services, which could represent significant costs to counties already facing financial crises.
Assembly Budget Subcommittee to review proposals on immigrant programs. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services has scheduled hearings for Apr. 12 and May 5, 2004, on the governor’s budget proposals. The Apr. 12 agenda will include testimony regarding the proposed caps on immigrant enrollment into nonemergency Medi-Cal, including Medi-Cal’s prenatal care, breast and cervical cancer treatment, and long-term care programs, as well as testimony regarding the proposed cap on enrollment into the Healthy Families program. The subcommittee will also consider the governor’s proposal to block-grant to the counties the Healthy Families program for recently arrived immigrant children. On May 5, the subcommittee will consider the social service programs and the block grant proposal.
Assembly Member John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) was recently appointed to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services. He will serve with Chairman Mervyn Dymally (D- Compton) and Members Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Robert Pacheco (R-Walnut), and Ray Haynes (R-Murrieta).
Immigrant Day – Save the Date! – May 17, 2004
As California’s budget crisis threatens to erode critical social and
health services this year, it is critical that immigrant communities throughout
the state make our voices heard at the State Capitol. We invite
you to join hundreds of immigrants on May 17, 2004, for the 8th Annual
Immigrant Day to celebrate the contributions of immigrants to
California, engage in civic participation, and inform state legislators about
the impact of the proposed cuts to immigrant programs.