The Governor’s May Revise continues to support the deal agreed to by the "education community" to rebase the 2004-05 Proposition 98 guarantee by $2 billion. Despite the agreement, $2.4 billion in additional funding capacity with the education budget is available for 2004-05 compared to 2003-04.

Last year, Governor Davis proposed for the elimination of the EMHI program. As most of your know, EMHI funded programs are a low-cost method of directly helping children become ready to learn. Under this program, the State awards grants to Local Education Agencies to implement early mental health intervention and prevention programs for students in K-grade 3. Schools that receive grants must also provide at least a 50 percent match to the funding provided by the Department of Mental Health. Schools use the funds to employ child aides who work with students to enhance the student’s social and emotional development. Students must have parental permission to participate in the program. The intervention provided by EMHI can have immediate impact on the child, the classroom, and the school environment. The long-range effects can last a lifetime. Maintaining a level of funding will ensure the continuity of critical support offered to elementary school children.

CASP treated restoration of EMHI as one of our highest budget priorities. We understood that cuts are inevitable because to the State’s budget situation, however elimination of an important program that saves money in the future is unsound policy. We embarked on an aggressive lobbying strategy and were able to convince the budget sub-committees to reinstate the program to a level where existing three-year grants could run its course, and the program can continue. Last year’s budget provided $10 million of the $15 million for the program.

This year, the Governor has proposed cutting the program another $5 million for total funding of $5 million. This was consistent with last year’s funding, allowing existing grants to continue without funding new grants. The problem, however, is that this sets the stage for elimination of EMHI funding by June of 2006.

We are happy to report success in our lobbying efforts of the Legislature. Both the Senate and Assembly have agreed to the $10 million funding level of last year. We expect this to stay in the final version of the budget. The Governor could use his "blue pencil" authority and reduce or eliminate the funding. We are meeting with the Administration to keep this from happening and to date have had position feedback.

Shortly after the release of the May Revise, we held our annual CASP Legislative Day. Led by our CASP President, President-elect, and Legislative Committee Chair we had a number of productive meetings with Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, Assemblyman Joe Nation (CASP Legislator of the Year); Senator Bruce McPherson (CASP nominee for the NASP Special Friend of Children award); Senator Charles Poochigian, and Assemblyman Leland Yee’s office. It was a very productive day to share CASP priorities and highlight the role of school psychologists in California, and advocate for budget changes and important bills to CASP.