California is flush with nearly $100 billion in extra cash for the fiscal year that will begin in July, but Gov. Gavin Newsom says he sees economic storms ahead, and wants to spend that money on programs that will help the state and its residents weather an uncertain future.
... As happens every year, Newsom’s May proposal is really the starting point for negotiations with lawmakers. San Francisco Democrat Phil Ting, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, said lawmakers will be pushing back on Newsom’s plan to send cash to car owners.
“I think we're looking at potentially a straight cash rebate going to people who really have been hit the hardest — people who need it the most,” Ting said.
As for infrastructure, Ting says one need stands above the rest: housing.