WEEK IN SESSION

January 11, 2008 |
Valor

Week of January 7th
Legislature Returns to the Capitol
The full membership of the Legislature returned to the Capitol this week. They are beginning the 2008 session with another $14 billion budget deficit hanging over their heads, leftover issues on their agendas and plans to expand health coverage.
On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered his annual State of the State address and on Thursday, the Governor declared a fiscal emergency and offered proposals for slashing state programs and outlined a slim budget for the next fiscal year.
CALCASA will continue to urge the Governor and legislators to ensure that dollars designated for crime victims stay with victims and resist the temptation to borrow against the Crime Victims Compensation Fund as a way to address the budget shortfall.
CA Sex Offender Management Board Completes Public Hearings
The California Sex Offender Management Board held three public hearings in San Francisco, Bakersfield and San Bernardino. The meetings provided an opportunity for local law enforcement agencies, victim advocates, local government and community members to voice their concerns as they relate to sex offender management. The feedback is then gathered along with the expert testimony the board has received over the last 6 months and delivered to lawmakers through reports and ongoing guidance.
Candy Stallings, Executive Director of San Bernardino Sexual Assault Service, testified at one of the hearings stating that victim advocates “are exhausted. Every day we try to balance finding the funds to do our work, doing the work ourselves and yet the need is still so great.” She went on to discuss the importance of community collaboration and education when it comes to providing services to sexual assault victims and survivors, as well as the management of sex offenders in communities.
The board is set to finalize a report this month which will be taken to California lawmakers as an analysis of the state of sex offender management.