The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of health care accessibility for all. As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I championed as part of our health care budget a historic provision to expand coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians.
Signed into law by Governor Newsom in July, Assembly Bill (AB) 133:
I want to wish you and yours a happy Labor Day. As we take a day off work to spend with family, friends and loved ones, we must remember that today we also honor working people, especially those essential workers who have to go to work today and on other holidays. We also recognize that many who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic still have not been able to rejoin the workforce.
As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I am proud that the budget that we passed earlier this year includes funding for job training and workforce development programs, such as:
The federal unemployment extensions and supplemental payments enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic end on September 4, 2021. Fed-Ed, a separate federal program for states with high unemployment, will end on September 11.
We must get people back to work if our economic recovery is to continue. But child care options have been limited, often forcing at least one parent to stay home or single parents to leave the workforce. Hundreds of thousands of families actually qualify for subsidized child care programs but haven’t been able to access them due to the lack of slots.
Fortunately, there are now resources available to these families. Our latest state budget adds 200,000 subsidized child care slots over the next four years.
Access to affordable higher education is the cornerstone of a strong middle class. As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee and a proud UC Berkeley alum, I am committed to opening doors for more Californians, so they can attend one of our stellar public universities and community colleges.
Our state’s housing shortage was already reaching crisis levels before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. When millions lost their jobs, it was important we kept people housed to prevent a wave of homelessness and a spike in COVID-19 transmission among the unhoused. As we work to emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that we continue to create affordable housing opportunities to ensure California’s economic future is inclusive of all families.
In surveys, the median American educator believes students are 3-6 months behind in their studies because of COVID, widening achievement gaps while also intensifying racial and socio-economic inequities. It is vitally important we make up for lost time and take this opportunity to ensure our children's futures are bright.
Many Californians are still facing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Assembly Budget Chair, I am proud to report the latest state budget enacted new programs to address some of the most pressing issues we face, while also continuing to fund current efforts that help struggling residents and businesses regain their footing.
Income less than $75,000 a year:
Many Californians are still facing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Assembly Budget Chair, I am proud to report the latest state budget enacted new programs to address some of the most pressing issues we face, while also continuing to fund current efforts that help struggling residents and businesses regain their footing.
Income less than $75,000 a year:
Homelessness continues to be one of the primary challenges plaguing our state. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated 161,548 Californians were without housing as of January 2020.
Climate change poses serious threats to the safety and prosperity of Californians. Among the consequences? It has created hotter, drier conditions, plunging us into another drought.
One of the hardships many Californians dealt with as a result of COVID-19 is food insecurity. Although the state has reopened, it’s still a very real problem.
As Assembly Budget Chair, I made sure hunger was addressed in the new state budget. The California Food Bank Association says food insecurity grew 2.5 times in 2020 compared to what it was before the pandemic. With the need still high, we allocated $110 million to help food banks continue their good work so children, seniors, and others can eat.
I will be hosting a State Budget Town Hall this evening, May 5, 2021.
I want to hear your input on our state's budget, and I will provide an update on state revenue projections and current budget proposals outlined in the Assembly's Budget Blueprint.
Today, Wednesday, May 5, 2021
5 - 6:30 pm
As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I invite you to a Budget Town Hall on Zoom. I want to hear your input on our state’s budget, and I will provide an update on state revenue projections and current budget proposals. Christian Griffith, Chief Consultant to the Assembly Budget Committee, will join me as we present the Assembly’s Budget Blueprint, listen to your input and answer your questions.
