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6.A,3 GOVERNOR UNVEILS PLAN TO "BLOW UP THE BOXES" Govemor Schwarzenegger unveiled this week his administration's initial steps to -blow up the boxes" and implement the recommendations in- cluded in the 2000-page Califomia Performance Review, issued last fall. In his State of the State address, the govemor stated that he has -lit the fuse". (See League comments of Draft CRP, 9(27/ 04 on the website at www.cacities.org/issues.) Go-Slow Approach to Start At this time, the governor appears to be taking a relatively go-slow approach. In doing so, he answered some of the questions that have been swirling around the Capitol regarding how he intends to implement the proposals. As announced in his State of the State speech, the govemor will initially offer two separate reorganization plans. The first, the Govemor's Reorganization Proposal 1 (GRP 1) would abolish, absorb or reform eighty- eight state boards and commissions. The second, the Govemor's Reorganization Proposal 2 (GRP 2), would reorganize the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency, including elimination or absorption six boards and commissions within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The governor stated that in subsequent months, he will propose additional government reorganization plans for other governmental functions and agencies. Thus, it appears that the governor is taking an incremental approach to reorganization, as op- posed to including all of his desired changes into one, all encompassing reorganization plan, as some had feared might happen. The plan includes boards and commissions from all sectors of Califomia and California govem- ment. A sample illustrates the range of issues covered: the 911 Advisory Board, the Campus Sexual Assault Task Force, the Colorado River Board of Califomia, Commission of Emergency Medical Services, the Hearing Aid Dispensers Advisory Committee, the State Mining and Geology Board, the Mortgage Bankers Advisory Committee, the Board of Pharmacy, the Integrated Waste Management Board, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Transportation Advisory Committee, the California Water Commission and the Workers Compensation Appeals Board. Some of these bodies are proposed to be abolished; others are proposed to be absorbed by a state agency. Although some details of how these proposals will be implemented will be included in the GRPs that are sent to the Uttle Hoover Com- mission, the nuts and bolts of the transition and implementation are still to be developed. (See -How Does The ReOrganization Process Work?") Impacts on Current Functions An indication of how the reorganization may impact the functioning of various boards can be gleaned from a January 5 briefing provided by the Chair of the California Integrated Waste Manage- ment Board, Rosario Marin, Cal EPA Under- secretary Jim Branham, and Waste Board Execu- tive Officer, Mark Leary. GRP 1 proposes that the Waste Board be absorbed by the California Environmental Agency, effective July 1, 2005. Until that time, Marin stated, the Board will continue to operate as usual and carry out all of its responsibilities. If the re-organization proceeds as proposed, the six-member board will cease to exist on July 1, 2005. However, the Secretary of Cal EPA will appoint a director of a waste management who will carry out the functions and statutory responsibili- ties currently overseen by the board. In essence, the Waste Board will transition from an independent six-member board to a department within a state agency. WHERE TO VIEW THE GOVERNOR'S REORGANIZATION PLANS The text of the governor's reorganization proposals can be found on the CPR website at: www.cpr.ca.Oov. GRP 1 contains 555 pages; GRP 2 contains 37 pages. The 88 boards and commissions included in GRP 1 that are slated for elimination. absorption or reform can be found on a useful chart at: www.oovernor.ca.QOv. The chart also includes the six boards and commissions to be ab- sorbed or abolished as part of GRP 2. The CPR website also includes a narrative dis- cussion of those impacted boards and commissions. Continued on Page 7 Visit the League's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 3