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SiliconValley.com: Californians Won’t Have To Pay State Taxes On Canceled Federal Student Loans

As part of a slate of budget bills signed by Gov. Newsom is an income tax exemption on student loans forgiven because of the pandemic

While the Supreme Court mulls the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, California moved to provide some relief to borrowers who had student loans forgiven during the pandemic.

Part of a slate of budget bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week is legislation exempting Californians from paying income taxes on forgiven federal student loans and some pandemic-era emergency grants.

Ting Statement on the Governor’s May Revision

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement about the Governor’s May Revision for the 2023-24 state budget:

California to Observe Fentanyl Awareness Day to Combat Opioid Crisis

Assemblymember Haney and colleagues speak on the fentanyl crisis and proposed legislation to address it

Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) Chair of the Fentanyl and Overdose Prevention Select Committee, along with several other members of the Democratic Caucus held a press conference on Fentanyl Awareness Day to discuss Assembly Democrat’s legislative priorities to address the fentanyl crisis.

Fentanyl kills more Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and other accidents. Last year 6,843 people died in California from opioid overdose, 5,722 of these deaths were related to Fentanyl.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day was established in remembrance of the many loved ones that have died from fentanyl poisoning. Fentanyl prevention advocates across the country come together on this day to take coordinated action and warn the public about the dangers of fentanyl.

Assembly Unveils Care COLA: Child Care Funding Budget Plan

Assembly Unveils Care COLA: Child Care Funding Budget Plan

In honor of today’s national “Day Without Child Care,” the Assembly proposed a billion dollars cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) from the state budget to bolster California’s child care system in an effort to stabilize the industry and help parents struggling to find providers. Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting and Legislative Women’s Caucus Vice-Chair Cecilia Aguiar-Curry unveiled the State Assembly’s Budget Plan for the “Care COLA,” increasing child care funding by 25.44%. The figure accounts for unfunded inflation since 2016. The move is the first step in a multi-year effort currently being collectively bargained between the Governor and Child Care Providers United, which is the child care workers’ new statewide union.

EdSource: Bill Seeks To Increase Housing Support For Youth In Extended Foster Care

Young Californians in extended foster care may soon get relief from rising housing costs if Assembly Bill 525, recently introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting, is passed.

The bill seeks to create a housing supplement that would increase the monthly amount of financial assistance that youth in extended foster care can receive, based on the county they live in. The increased amount would supplement the base rate that youth currently receive, which is $1,129 regardless of their county of residence.

LA Times: Amid Budget Concerns, Newsom Pulls Back Funding Increase For Foster Care Advocate Program

Jaheim Smith “aged out” of foster care just last week, a transition that can be distressing for young people who have spent most of their lives in the child welfare system and for the first time are living on their own.

But Smith, recently 21, is confident in his new life. He is renting an apartment in Sacramento and works as a behavioral consultant for children with autism, teaching them skills that help them thrive in school. He works shifts at McDonald’s to make ends meet.