CA budget woes are hitting hard

(CALMATTERS) – On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered sobering news to lots of groups that rely on state funding, proposing billions in budget cuts to ongoing programs. Later this week, more bad tidings are on the way: Dozens of bills with new spending will get killed in the Legislature’s “suspense file.”& That process is& scheduled to unfold& after floor sessions on Thursday, with about 530 bills in the Assembly suspense file, and about 250 in the Senate’s. The new Assembly and& Senate appropriations committee chairpersons& both suggest fewer bills will get through because of the state’s financial woes.& Typically in the first round of “suspense file,” when each legislative chamber is culling its own bills, the committees advance a higher proportion. Last May, the& Senate approved 326 measures, or 78%, and the& Assembly 535 measures, or 71%.& Back to the revised& budget& proposed by& Newsom& — it will be sliced and diced by legislators before they pass their own version by June 15.& This is followed& by a 12-day stretch in which legislative leaders and the governor hammer out a final budget deal. The governor can then sign the budget, or veto some or all of it. (Though more budget-related...