Brain Injury Blog | Traumatic Brain Injury TBI

Legislative Report December 2008
by Rick Rollens – Consultant for CALBIA

The 2009-2010 California Legislative Session began in early December to swear in the new members elect­ed in November, organize the Assembly and Senate and elect it’s leaders, and most important­ly, to try and tackle the mon­strous and ever growing State Budget Deficit.

Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) was elected Presi­dent Pro-Tem of the Senate and is expected to hold that position for the next six years. Senator Steinberg is a good friend of CALBIA’s, and in January, Mark Ashley and I will be meeting with the Senator to discuss CALBIA’s Legislative Initiatives as well as hearing Senator Stein­berg’s views on opportunities and obstacles facing our efforts this Legislative Session.

As long as the Budget Deficit continues, and grows at a rate of least $50 million a day, the Capi­tol will be consumed and preoc­cupied with finding a solution to California’s most serious Budget crisis in it’s history. Many social service and health services pro­grams have been hit hard with Budget reductions with more reductions and restructuring to come. We will continue to be very engaged in our efforts to work to protect those vital ser­vices that persons with brain injury rely on.