(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the following statement about Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The Assembly Budget Committee will release a preliminary analysis of the proposal later today online at http://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/. Ting’s statement follows.
“California faces enormous uncertainty as a new president takes office with an agenda out of step with our values. The Governor’s budget reflects caution towards a future of unknowns. As the Legislature crafts this year’s budget, we must focus first on protecting our financial stability and standing up for our values. The Assembly has a blueprint to do that, balancing our aspirations to build a more prosperous and inclusive state. Clearly, we cannot spend revenue that we do not have but we need to continue to move forward. We believe in making responsible investments in the success and security of our people. Brown’s proposal to eliminate scholarships as the University of California proposes a fee increase, for example, is not a recipe for success. Whatever disagreements may come in the Legislature’s review of the Governor’s budget, they cannot overshadow our need to stand up to Washington together.”
Last month, Ting released his Assembly Blueprint for Responsible Budget Priorities. It focuses on strengthening California’s fiscal health, protecting the state from harm inflicted by the federal government, and making responsible investments in Californians. Its proposed investments occur through a phased-in, a multi-year approach to preserve the financial stability of the state while creating opportunities for families still waiting to benefit from our growing economy.