UPDATE: Governor's Budget Proposes Deep Cuts

The Governor’s 2009-11 budget released today proposes deep cuts in all areas of the state budget, including state-funded health care, assistance to people with disabilities, and education. The Governor’s reliance on budget cuts and resistance to options of increasing revenue and ending certain tax exemptions severely limits our ability to pursue important priorities during these difficult economic times.

UPDATE

During a time of broad economic insecurity, the impact of these budget reductions will fall disproportionately on lower income people who are employed or are unable to work due to disability. Twenty percent of the $3.4 billion in cuts in the Governor’s budget focus on two important programs:

• The General Assistance for the Unemployable Program provides health care and cash assistance to 20,000 adults who are unable to work because of disability. This program is entirely eliminated, saving $400 million.
  
• Currently, about 100,000 people receive health insurance through the Basic Health program. The governor’s budget would cut this program by 42%, suggesting that 40,000 or more people would lose health insurance. This cut in Basic Health would mean a reduction of $275 million dollars