On March 12, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to provide much needed assistance to tens of millions of people, including millions of Californians. The $1.9 trillion federal aid package will bring approximately $150 billion in federal aid to California to help reduce economic hardship for low- and middle-income households, support workers, help schools address learning needs, boost early care and learning, combat housing instability and homelessness, and bolster the economy. This latest round of federal fiscal relief will help reduce hardship as a result of the pandemic, particularly for Californians with low incomes and people of color, and begins to set the stage for a more equitable economic recovery. This report outlines key provisions of the plan and what it means for Californians.
Budget choices should reflect our collective values, priorities, and ideals. At the Budget Center we often pose the question: What kind of California do you want to live in? These decisions depend on budget deliberations and analyses that are fact-based and non-partisan — while also thinking about the people in our communities. The Budget Center works to make budget issues — and the state budget process itself — more accessible and easier to understand, so as to broaden participation in the debate and foster policies that work for all Californians, especially people with low and middle incomes, people of color, immigrants, women, and children.
New to the state budget process? Check out our latest First Look and A Guide to the State Budget Process.
Featured Resources
Report
First Look: Governor’s Proposed Budget Responds to Emergency Needs of the Pandemic, Misses Opportunities for Urgent and Ongoing Investments
On January 8, Governor Gavin Newsom released his proposed 2021-22 state budget, drawing on stronger-than-expected revenues to call for a series of emergency investments to respond to the public health and economic impacts of the pandemic and provide modest relief for Californians. These much-needed emergency investments, which the governor calls for the Legislature to enact as quickly as possible in the coming weeks, include providing $600 in one-time assistance for Californians with low incomes, extending the state’s eviction moratorium, putting steps in place to reopen schools, and providing small business assistance through loans and tax credits.
Statement
California Budget & Policy Center Statement on Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2021-22 Budget
Providing emergency cash relief and housing support, and prioritizing the safe reopening of schools are wise investments for the state, our economy, and to meet the urgent needs of Californians in low and middle-income households who have been hard hit by the pandemic. Still, Governor Newsom and state leaders need to consider the many urgent and ongoing health and economic needs of children, families, workers, and seniors in low-income households. Every day, Californians are losing jobs and income, health care and food assistance, child care and educational opportunities. State leaders must prioritize ongoing investments that will help Californians with the health and financial strains faced not just today, but in the months and years to come.
Report
Dollars, Democracy, and K-12 Education
Building off of the California Budget & Policy Center’s Dollars and Democracy: A Guide to the State Budget Process, this presentation focuses on the K-12 experience and explains why the state budget matters for California’s K-12 students and families, teachers, and schools. The goal is to help the many people who come into contact with their K-12 schools understand the state budget process and recognize opportunities for community engagement as decisions about dollars for students and schools are decided by state policymakers.
Presentation
Child Development Programs and the 2020-21 California State Budget
In this presentation learn what funding early care and education programs received in the 2020-21 state budget and from federal relief in 2020, and the additional support providers, workers, and families – particularly Californians of color and families in low-income households – still need from state and federal policymakers in the ongoing pandemic.