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Tell State Budget Negotiators to protect California's Environment!

As California grapples with another multi-billion dollar state budget deficit, environmental and public health programs face potential cuts. Many of these programs have already been cut to a bare minimum and have relied on bond funding to stay afloat. Now that most of the bond funding has been committed or has run out, state officials must find other ways to preserve these important programs without drawing heavily on the state's general fund.

Environmental protection programs account for less than two percent of the state's $95 billion budget, so any further reduction to these programs would do little to help the state's budget situation anyway.

State Budget negotiators (Gov. Schwarzenegger, Speaker Nunez, Senator Burton, Assemblyman McCarthy and Senator Ackerman) should adopt a modest package of proposals that includes placing fees on polluting industries. The state needs to ensure that the costs of environmental protection do not fall solely on taxpayers, but also on the companies whose products and practices threaten our natural resources and public health.

What You Can Do

Send a message urging your Assembly Member to support the Resources Trailer Bill to protect California's key environmental and public health programs, and asking them to encourage Assembly leadership to do the same. Since a budget agreement will most probably be finalized this week, this message is urgent; a fax, followed by a call or an email, is the best way to contact your Assembly Member. To find your Assembly Member's contact information, see the Assembly web site and click on "Find My District."

Our secondary targets are Senate President pro Tem John Burton and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, who are also important budget negotiators. Please contact them and pass along the same message!

See our sample letter, including contact information, and send one to each!

Senate President pro Tem John Burton
Phone: 916-445-1412
Fax: 916-445-4722
Senator Burton's feedback form
State Capitol Building, Rm 205
Sacramento, CA 95814

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez
Phone: 916-319-2046
Fax: 916-319-2146
Email: assemblymember.nunez@assembly.ca.gov
State Capitol Building, Rm 219
Sacramento, CA 95814