Caregiver initiative's hurdle: state's budget hole
An initiative on the November ballot would require the state to increase spending by millions of dollars to boost training for long-term-care workers, at a time when the Legislature must slash nearly $2 billion from the state budget.
Initiative 1163 supporters say the spending is appropriate, given the need for additional training. "What this initiative says is this is a top-tier priority," said Sandeep Kaushik, a spokesman for the campaign, financed almost entirely by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents long-term-care employees.