Photo Credit: Jason Doiy/ALM

California lawmakers offered an alternative budget plan on Wednesday that would significantly ease substantial cuts to the judiciary outlined by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month.

The proposal, like Newsom's, still ties reductions to the fate of billions of dollars in requested aid from the federal government to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. But lawmakers would cut money for courts by far less—$100 million to Newsom's $206 million—if $14 billion in aid arrives from Washington, D.C. Additionally, they offered no plans for more cutbacks in the 2021-22 fiscal year as the governor did.

Democratic leaders also rejected Newsom's proposed reductions to funding for dependency counsel, court interpreters, collaborative and drug court projects, equal access funds, the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program and other specialized projects.

The budget plan relies on revenue and public assistance caseload numbers that aren't as dire as those cited by Newsom in his revised budget proposal of May. Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who chairs the budget committee, said Democrats project "a strong likelihood of federal funding," despite doubts raised by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Ting told reporters in a press call Wednesday that lawmakers do not want to assume the state won't receive federal money and go too far in making cuts.

State judiciary officials Wednesday afternoon were still trying to gather information on the legislative plan's specifics, which were only outlined in broad strokes in the hastily assembled press call.

The plan still eliminates $2 billion Newsom had hoped for in his original January proposal to allocate for courthouse construction and rehabilitation projects over the next five years. The proposal would also give the Legislature authority to decide which programs would be eliminated or reduced if the $100 million cut is triggered.

Additionally, Democrats have proposed a misdemeanor diversion program that was not included in the governor's budget plans. Details have not been made public, and the issue is still being negotiated among legislative leaders and the governor.

Newsom had no immediate public response to the recommendations. The Legislature has until June 15 to send a final budget to the governor.

In related news on Wednesday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee shelved a bill to create 50 new judgeships. A legislative analysis had pegged the costs of the new judgeships at approximately $16.5 million, including support staff. The budget approved for the current fiscal year provides money for 25 new judgeships.