Source: CalMatters
Another coronavirus variant spreading like wildfire, and another huge state budget surplus: In some ways, 2022 is off to a similar start as 2021.
That could carry over to the state Legislature’s new session that started Monday. In addition to the pandemic and surplus, California is dealing with some of the same big issues it has long grappled with — including housing and climate change.
... Assembly Budget Chairperson Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat, told reporters last month that with less money than last year to expand programs, the Legislature is likely to employ more creative one-time funding measures, including on transportation and transit, which didn’t receive as much funding in 2021.
“We’re definitely not back towards normal, but as we sort of come out of the pandemic a little bit, it’s not exactly clear where the best investments are and where the biggest impact is,” Ting said. “This is what the budget process is for. We have from now ’til June to really identify where we can make the biggest impact.”