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SEIU Members Take Action For a Fair Budget

In the last month, tens of thousands of SEIU members across the state have taken part in actions fighting for a balanced approach to the budget. Take a look at some photos and video from recent actions:

Los Angeles area members urge Speaker Karen Bass to stand strong in support of vital public services

Fresno members protest the Governor's refusal to consider a balanced approach to solving our budget crisis.

Home care workers from across the state deliver 75,000 petitions to the Capitol.

SEIU Launches Television Ad Challenging Governor's Vision of "Shared Sacrifice"

SEIU has launched another statewide television ad. This one calls into question the Governor's claim to support "shared sacrifice." The ad points out that the Governor calls cutting healthcare for kids, college for students, and home care for seniors "shared sacrifice," while asking big oil and tobacco to pay is a "deal breaker." Watch the ad. Read our release with the entire script. The ad is also airing on Spanish-language television. Watch the ad in Spanish.

SEIU Pushes for a Common Sense Budget

SEIU launched a new television ad today pushing Sacramento to use balance, co-operation, and common sense to fix our budget problem. The Governor's cuts-only approach would lead to 2 million Californians losing healthcare, including nearly a million children; hundreds of thousands of college students denied an education and k-12 students stuck in overcrowded, underfunded schools; and hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities losing the care they need to live at home. Watch the ad.

Governor's Budget Will Be a Death Blow to CA's Staggering Economy

A consortium of health and human services groups has released a truly frightening report about the Governor's budget and its effect on California's beleaguered economy. The verdict: the Governor's approach will send California into an economic tailspin. The report, entitled THE WORST PRESCRIPTION FOR CALIFORNIA’S ECONOMY: Analyzing the Economic Impacts of Health and Human Service Cuts, estimates that 600,000 jobs will be lost in California, and the Governor's cuts will force a swift contraction of more than 2% in our GDP.

6/10 Capitol Update: Democratic Leaders & Legislators Push Back Against Gov's Cuts

Democratic legislative leaders are sending strong signals that they don’t plan to let the Governor’s radical cuts pass. Yesterday, Speaker Bass affirmed her commitment to a balanced approach to solving the budget crisis and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg vowed that he won’t be dismantling our safety net.

Then, in the Budget Conference Committee today, Democratic legislators voted down the Governor’s proposed elimination of CalWORKS and spoke out against the Governor's proposed home care cuts. Assemblymember Kevin de Leon made a passionate moral and economic argument against the cuts to IHSS and CalWORKS. The Conference Committee also voted down the Governor's proposal to replace court reporters with electronic recording.

In Special Election, Voters Demand Real Solutions

By overwhelming margins, California voters rejected the false solutions on the Special Election ballot, sending the Governor and Legislature back to the drawing board. Prop 1A, which would have traded temporary revenue for deep cuts into the future, was defeated 65.9% to 34.1%. SEIU also opposed Proposition 1D and 1E, which would have raided children's health and mental health funds. Voters rejected both. See the complete election results.

SEIU and Allies Rally Against Further Cuts

On March 17, SEIU members, seniors, people with disabilities, college students, faculty, and others rallied against further cuts to home care, support for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, higher education, and healthcare. Over 700 people attended the rally, which preceded a hearing on whether the federal economic stimulus dollars California is receiving will be accounted for to prevent further cuts. SEIU and allies argued that the economic stimulus package was intended to stop exactly these kinds of deep and devastating cuts.
» Read the release

SEIU Calls Unfair Budget Evidence of a Broken Process

Statement of Courtni Pugh, Executive Director, SEIU California State Council
"SEIU recognizes that in facing a $42 billion budget deficit, Legislators had few easy choices. But this budget does not represent shared sacrifice. The past three state budgets have forced families who are struggling to make ends meet sacrifice too deeply. This budget represents more of the same approach.

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