Republican Senator Applauds Veto of Measure to Unionize Child Care Providing Grandparents

Action Saves State $60 Million Per Year

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 867 by Senator Gil Cedillo - a bill that would have allowed for the unionization of child care workers. The Legislature's fiscal experts estimate that the cost of this proposal would be $60 million each year.

Senator Dave Cox, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee – a committee whose members are in charge of reviewing proposed bills that require state funding - issued the following statement:

“I want to thank Governor Schwarzenegger for recognizing the financial impact of this bill. This measure would have caused the state to spend more money – at a time when the state is already spending borrowed money.

“This measure would have allowed unionized child care workers to receive higher payments forcing the state to fund fewer child care placements. The bottom line is that the state would have spent millions more for fewer services to families.

“The Legislature must take this opportunity to begin serious budget discussions today. These debates cannot be delayed until the summer as it has been done in previous years. The state of our economy is too important for us to procrastinate.

“We must have our legislative leaders in both houses to fully engage all members and go through the budget program by program to set our priorities.”