The California state budget is set to break the record at $222.2 billion with Governor Gavin Newsom unveiling the budget proposal Friday in a press conference that lasted almost three hours. Newsom touted the strength of California’s fiscal health after ten years of economic growth while putting $21 billion in the state’s reserves.
Assemblymember Rudy Salas who represents the 32 assembly District that covers Hanford, Corcoran, Delano and Lemoore made the following statement:
“The Governor’s proposed budget continues to address the homelessness crisis by taking a whole person approach for housing and mental health needs to prevent reoccurring homelessness,” said Assemblymember Salas. “Within the proposal, there is a historic $750 million in funding to help get individuals off of the streets and into supportive services. The budget also includes $695 million towards efforts to transform Medi-Cal to boost preventative health care and bring down costs. As we move forward with the public budget process, I will continue to support funding for the Valley so that our cities and counties receive the investments they need to alleviate the homelessness epidemic and improve the health and safety of our communities.”
Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove issued the following statement concerning the budget,
“This year’s budget proposal continues to add to the state’s Rainy Day Fund which Republicans have long pushed for. Money for better emergency preparedness and forest management is overdue. I’m pleased that the governor is continuing to focus on the wildfire efforts with the additional funding for CalFire positions which will help ensure better disaster preparedness and response.
“But too much of this budget is out of touch with everyday Californians. For example, nearly $20 million will go towards cracking down on AB 5 and limiting worker’s freedom, despite the pleas from so many industries to fix the law. This is a clear case of poor prioritization. We should be using this funding to house Californians instead of preventing them from earning an income the way they choose.
“More than 50% of Golden State residents are already considering fleeing because Democrats have imposed high costs on too many basic necessities. The governor offers a lot of new programs, but it’s time to get back to the basics such as lowering the cost of living, ensuring safe communities, providing high-quality education, and serving the disabled.
“Another immediate priority must be tackling the out-of-control homelessness crisis that we all agree on, but California needs to be smart about it. The state has provided significant investments on this issue over the last several years, yet the homeless population dramatically increased in California. Instead of addressing the root-causes of homelessness such as mental health and drug abuse, the Democrats have poorly prioritized their spending.”
Highlights from the Governor’s 2020-2021 State Budget totaling $222.2 billion includes funding for the following:
Budget Reserves and Resiliency
$21 billion total reserves.
$18 billion in the Rainy Day Fund and $19.4 billion by 2023-24.
$900 million in the Safety Net Reserve.
$487 million in the Public School System Stabilization Account.
$1.6 billion in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties to address emergencies and other unforeseen events.
Health and Human Services
$167.9 billion for all health and human services programs.
$107.4 billion for Medi-Cal.
$426 million to expand substance use disorder treatment for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
$8.3 billion for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to provide temporary cash assistance to low-income families with children to meet basic needs.
$20 million one-time for Emergency Food Assistance Program providers and food banks to support increased food purchases.
Water
$1 billion to support water management and resilience projects.
$360 million for safe drinking water projects in disadvantaged communities.
$150 million to support lead in drinking water testing and remediation.
$395 million for projects to implement Groundwater Sustainability Plans.
Agriculture
$33 million to support advanced agricultural production and high-quality jobs in the San Joaquin Valley.
$200 million for grants, incentives, and projects to enhance agricultural lands for soil health, water quality, and resiliency.
$340 million in new bond funding to support Urban Flood Risk Reduction projects for the next five years.
Public Safety
$60 million annually for to supervise and provide probation services.
$21.4 million in officer training.
$476,000 in 2020-21 and $448,000 annually thereafter for the Department of Justice to provide legal services to victims.
Education
$900 million for K-12 teacher and administrator workforce development to address the teacher shortage.
$300 million for grants and technical assistance to the state’s lowest-performing schools.
$895 million for special education.
$36 billion in total funding to higher education.
$200 million increase to the California State Universities.
$217.7 million increase to the University of California.
$370 million increase to California Community Colleges.
Homelessness & Housing
Over $1 billion in additional funds to house unsheltered individuals living in California
$750 million for affordable housing for homeless individuals and families.
$50 million to increase training programs for mental health workforce.
$19 million to support rapid rehousing of homeless and housing-insecure students.
$6.8 billion total investment to increase housing production and housing services.
$331 million for borrower relief and support housing counselors.
$500 million annually for the state’s housing tax credit program.