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Governor Brown Vetos Budget |
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Thursday, 16 June 2011 11:46 |
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Today Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the budget package passed Wednesday by Democratic legislators. Western Fairs Association Executive Director Stephen Chambers says this is good news for California fairs.
"This puts it back in the hands of the legislators and that is exactly where we want this issue to be. We want legislators to keep looking for alternative solutions to the budget crisis that includes funding for fairs," said Chambers.
Governor Brown explains this move in a video released today. |
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Simple Majority-Vote Budget Expected to Pass |
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Wednesday, 15 June 2011 11:55 |
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The California Fairs Alliance legislative team expects the legislature to pass a simple majority-vote budget today. Absent any Republican support, the budget will not contain the tax extensions proposed by Governor Brown. The Governor will then have 12 days to seek the support necessary to implement his plan. Funding for California's fair network continues to be an open item in these negotiations. |
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Revised California Budget Addresses Fair Network |
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Monday, 16 May 2011 16:20 |
The revised state budget, released on May 16, contained the following statement:
Develop a Comprehensive Policy for Fairgrounds--Individual legislative initiatives have been introduced to sell fairgrounds over the years. These proposals should be evaluated in the context of a statewide policy and a property by property review of fairgrounds. The Secretary of Food and Agriculture will develop a plan to be included in the Governor's 2012-13 budget, addressing the future operation, maintenance, and oversight of the network of California fairs, including real and personal property and the feasibility to restructure the governance of the fairs within this network.
"While this directive to the CDFA does not address the immediate problem of fair funding, it does show us that the Governor has developed an understanding of the importance of our state's fair network," said California Fairs Alliance Chair Rick Pickering. "We look forward to working with Secretary Ross, sooner rather than later."
The May budget revisions will lead to a new round of negotiations and the California Fairs Alliance advocacy team will continue to press for funding solutions. The state's fiscal year ends June 30 and the new budget needs to be adopted by July 1. |
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Friday, 13 May 2011 14:46 |
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On Monday, May 16, the Governor will present his revised budget based on the May adjustments to the state's economic condition. While experts project some improvement to the state's economy, there will still be a $15 billion gap in the budget. We expect that this will drive a new round of budget negotiations as the Governor continues to pursue support for the tax extension concept. Our team will continue to press for solutions for fair funding as a component of these negotiations.
As we continue with the budget process, we have also begun an effort to find legislative solutions. Senator LaMalfa's Senate Bill 899 passed out of the Senate Ag Committee last week and will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee next Monday. In its current form, SB899 seeks to remove District Agricultural Associations from oversight by the Department of General Services. |
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Tuesday, 03 May 2011 12:29 |
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California Senate Bill 899, which eliminates the Department of General Services' oversight authority for District Agricultural Associations, passed unanimously today during a Senate hearing. It heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee next. "It's still early in the process, but it's nice to see the bill moving," said WFA Executive Director Stephen Chambers. |
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