The California Budget & Policy Center, a nonpartisan, research and analysis nonprofit committed to advancing public policies that improve the lives of Californians, released the following statement from Executive Director Chris Hoene following the release of Governor Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 state budget:
“Urgent funding and support for the ongoing public health and economic needs of Californians as proposed by Governor Newsom are critical as each day shows us that COVID-19 and its consequences are far from over for children, families, workers, and adults of all ages. It’s fiscally prudent and essential for the governor and Legislature to use the state’s strong fiscal conditions to ensure every Californian — not just corporations and the wealthy — can be healthy and thrive.
“State leaders have an opportunity with the 2022-23 state budget to change California’s great paradox: How can a state with such wealth also be home to immense poverty where so many Californians are blocked from comprehensive health care, affordable housing, stable jobs, paid sick leave, reliable child care, and quality higher education? The governor and Legislature can boldly act, change discriminatory policies, and invest in children, families, and individuals now.
“The governor’s budget proposal would make progress by providing comprehensive Medi-Cal for Californians who are undocumented and ages 26-49, providing cash assistance for low-income Californians through state tax credits, investing in homelessness prevention and housing, and committing additional funding for pre-K, K-12, and higher education systems.
“As the Legislature and administration deliberate about the 2022-23 state budget in the months ahead, other priority investments that should move forward include but are not limited to: extending temporary economic support to families, including a larger amount of aid for Californians who are undocumented and excluded from federal support; expanding cash support for Californians without children; significantly increasing investments in rebuilding the child care system, particularly supporting providers who have struggled to stay open and parents who can’t find affordable care for their kids so they can go to work; monitoring K-12 funding and enrollment formulas to ensure students and schools are not harmed by attendance shifts as a result of the pandemic; providing ongoing funding for people experiencing homelessness; and boosting investment in public health.
“State leaders must also figure out how to manage and reform the state’s constitutional spending limit — or Gann Limit — that holds the state back from building a better future that is especially critical for Californians with low incomes, people of color, immigrant Californians, and women. With the 2022-23 state budget proposals, state leaders can ensure corporations and the wealthy are not the only ones who reap the benefits of the state’s strong economy. Instead, the governor and the Legislature can invest in the people who have put their own health and well-being at risk to keep our communities running and move California forward.”
- Read our “First Look” analysis of the governor’s 2022-23 budget proposal later this week. Find it on our website or delivered directly to your inbox.
- Join our experts for our first Empower event of 2022 — Understanding the Governor’s 2022-23 State Budget — on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 1 p.m.
