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944 TRIPLE FLIP from page 1 • • • • • • • • • • • a Last week we urged you to contact your legislators and ask them some critical questions about the sunposed flan. If you haven't already done so, we'C encourage you to move forward with this effort. Questions posed include: Why take local funds? How long with the flip last? Will the plan flip back and return the local sales tax to local governments, and if so, how? Will legislators cast the tough votes to make the flip work? What about constitutional protection of locals? (For more details, see Priority Focus of July 11.) HOMELAND SECURITY from page 1 Governor Davis, Senators Brulte and Burton, Assembly Members Wesson and Cox and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), all joined the League President John Russo in emphasizing the need to make the Homeland Security funding formula threat -based in order to allocate limited resources more efficiently. The letter reaches Representative Cox and Turner as they hear testimony today from state and local officials about how states, localities and the federal government can work together more effectively to make America safer at a hearing held by the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. The League's Board of Directors will be discussing the "triple flip" at its meeting July 18 and 19, based on details we have available at that time. For talking points about the "triple flip" to use in conversations with your legislators, or in a letter to the editor, go online to the Advocacy Center at www.cacities.org /advocacycenter. BUDGET UPDATE from page 1 • ....... . Following the Senate vote, the LOCAL coali- tion distributed an alert to its members asking them to call Republican Senators who voted "Aye" and let them know that a vote for AB 1769 as amended was a vote to cut critical local services. For details, go to www.cacities.oro /budaet. Currently, there are no details on when the budget will be debated next by either house. The Governor implored the legislature to set aside work on all other legislation until the budget was passed, and suggested that their summer recess (scheduled to begin July 18) should be delayed until after a budget has been approved and sent to the Governor for signature. Indications are that members of both houses will be in Sacramento next week. For more information on the state budget, please visit the League's website at www.cacities.org /budget. Although California is a major potential terrorist target, with its internationally known landmarks and critical infrastructure, it is receiving the least in Office of Domestic Preparedness homeland security block grant funds per capita as compared to all other states. Homeland Security block grant funds have thus far been distributed under a two -part formula. Under the current formula, each state receives a minimum of three - fourths of a percent of homeland security block grant funds and the remainder based on state population. As a result, nearly forty percent in total of Homeland Security funding is distributed without regard to terrorist threats. The League is advocat- ing changes to the formula that would reduce the per -state minimum requirement to ensure that funding is targeted primarily to areas where the threat of terrorism is greatest. In addition, the League also noted that continuing the High Threat Urban Area program for those localities where threats are particularly great remains important even if the homeland security block grants are revised to distribute the funds in a manner that is more consistent with the threat posed to the area. PAGE 4 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org