Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, released the statement below regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2023-24 budget proposal:
“Economic factors, like the stock market and tech sector, are negatively impacting California’s revenue. However, our decade of fiscal responsibility has prepared us for budget shortfalls. Our robust General Fund reserves and Rainy Day Fund have positioned our state well to weather downturns, allowing us to prioritize the commitments we have made in early childhood, K-12 and higher education, homelessness support, and health care. Thanks to this diligence, there are many solutions available to us to ensure that access to vital services and programs won’t be cut. I’m happy to see a number of the Governor’s priorities are aligned with the Assembly Budget Blueprint, Serving California: Making Government Work, which was unveiled last month, and uses our tools to safeguard important investments.
“I’m ready to get to work, protecting our progress and ensuring oversight of funds to make government work for all Californians. The public will have opportunities to weigh in, as the Assembly and Senate shape the Governor’s plan into a final state budget before the June 15th deadline. Together, we will keep leading the way to a promising future and ensure people can continue to rely on their government.
Highlights of the Assembly Budget Blueprint include:
- Protecting Classroom Funding: Continuing to protect Proposition 98; preserve school funding; provide certainty for schools to make investments to reserve learning loss; emphasize educator retention and compensation; continue progress towards debt-free college
- Keep Focus on Infrastructure: Oversight of climate infrastructure efforts; expedite shovels on the ground
- Protect Health and Human Services Expansions: Complete full expansion of Medi-Cal for All; maintain public health investments; fully implement Developmental Services rates
- Move Forward on Housing and Homelessness: Leverage affordable housing investment opportunities; demand accountability on homelessness spending
- Improve How Government Works: Oversee efforts to improve the quality, value, and customer service of the state Government