2005–2006 Budget
On July 11, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a $117.3 billion spending plan for California's current fiscal year— July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. It provides for no new taxes and limits borrowing to balance the state's budget. The budget restores or preserves some funding for AIDS, mental health, and disability services that were cut in previous proposals. In addition, most of the Governor's cuts proposed in his original Medi–Cal redesign were rejected by the Legislature. However, the budget does make cuts to critical health care and dental programs that could impact AAPI families.
APIAHF lobbied to preserve $1.5 million in funding for the California Naturalization Services Program (NSP). Since its inception in 1999, NSP has helped approximately 90,000 immigrants in California in their efforts to become citizens. Nearly one third of all Californians who file applications for citizenship fail to become citizens due to problems with the application, citizenship tests, or much needed follow–up with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. NSP has been successful in assisting immigrants through this process due to a wide range of services offered. In addition, NSP is successful because the services are provided through community–based organizations that have well established ties to the communities they serve.
California must maintain these critical services to assist immigrants who are actively pursuing the American Dream and to promote greater civic participation. Maintaining NSP also helps maximize federal dollars to California and contribute to the state's economic growth by improving English language skills of the state's workers, facilitating access to employment in higher wage jobs and increasing tax contributions. Earlier this year, the Governor proposed to eliminate all NSP funding in 2005–06 but, through a concerted effort by advocacy groups, funding was successfully restored. Click here to view APIAHF's letter or support.
For more information, contact the APIAHF Policy Division staff:
Gem Daus, Legislative and Government Affairs Coordinator, GDaus@apiahf.org
