Appropriations Committees in California Consider Record Number of Over 800 Bills on "Suspense File" Today

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The hearings of the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees are underway as we write. By the end of the day, approximately 850 legislative proposals will die or live to be voted on by the floors of their respective houses. All of the bills being considered, one at a time at Gatling gun speed have passed through the policy committees. They have been sent to purgatory--the "suspense file"--and if not moved out and passed will either become "two year bills" to be considered next year only--or they will be dead for the session.

Bills with an appropriation under $150,000 generally escape the "suspense file" and many of these smaller expense bills have already passed the Appropriations Committees or been killed outright. What is under consideration today is legislation that spends more than this.

Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Mark Leno announced at his hearing that they had a record number of 591 bills to consider. He said that if all the bills were passed off suspense, they would appropriate $6.6 billion in state funds. Unless there is a surprise, the fate of these bills is already known, and according to Leno approximately 66% of them will pass--but these will account for only 8% of the total costs of these measures. The other bills that will not make it are the ones that spend 92% of the $6.6 billion.

Leno has met with staff and other members and he is announcing the bills by subject areas one at a time, reading a one sentence description and the disposition on the bill--"A" roll calls, "B" roll calls, some variations in between, pass with amendments, and "hold in committee" dispositions. The "A" or "B" descriptors are for a vote by all committee members or passing out with Democratic votes only and Republicans in opposition.