The Governor’s score improved significantly over last year when he vetoed two-thirds of the disability related bills that were sent to his desk. This year he only used his veto pen on one out of fifteen bills that DRC scored.

However, as we noted above, the Governor proposed in the May Revision massive program eliminations and cuts for persons with disabilities and older Californians that would have been devasting. Those cuts would have included significant reductions in IHSS, not passing through the federal SSI COLA, and Medi-Cal benefits for Aged, Blind and Disabled adults. He proposed to eliminate both the Community-Based Adults Services (CBAS) and the Multi-purpose Senior Services (MSSP) programs. We commend the Legislature for rejecting those proposals and we support the Governor’s ultimate agreement to not make the program reductions he proposed in the midst of the pandemic. We call upon the Governor, as he proposes his 2021-2022 budget, that he not look to budget solutions that ask the most vulnerable Californians who have borne some of the most devastating impacts of the pandemic on their health and lives to take the brunt of the economic challenges.