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August 21, 2007
Budget deal reached
Dear FCL Supporter,
Though we are still learning the details, Democrats and Republicans have agreed on a budget 51 days past the constitutional deadline. The budget bill now goes to Governor Schwarzenegger where he can use his line-item veto authority to cut spending.
One item of particular importance to FCL has survived the budget negotiations. FCL, the Statewide Family Council and the California Catholic Conference lobbied legislators to eliminate the $26 million concession that telephone companies pay to the State's General Fund as an inducement to win the contract to provide prisons with telephone service.
The $26 million concession was funded by charging the families of prisoners exorbitant rates and connect fees on collect calls from prisoners (prisoners are only allowed to make collect calls). The high fees basically amount to a tax on the families of the incarcerated, many who are of limited economic means, and discourages contact between families and prisoners. Prisoners who have strong family support while incarcerated are less likely to recidivate. Because California prisons are located far away from the state's population centers, the telephone is a primary source of contact.
The budget bill phases out the telephone concession over a four-year period and requires telephone vendors to reduce rates. We anticipate that these provisions will remain intact in the budget signed into law by the governor.
Stay tuned for further details on the budget.
Sincerely,
Jim Lindburg
Legislative Advocate
http://www.fclca.org
E-mail: JimL@fclca.org
Phone: (916) 443-3734
Fax: (916) 448-6109
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