Senator Portantino Responds to Newsom’s Budget Proposal
Sacramento, California – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) has issued the following statement regarding Governor Newsom’s 2021-22 Budget Proposal:
“The pandemic and subsequent economic crisis are events that none of us could have planned for. Covid-19 has presented us with an economic situation that is completely unprecedented. With so many people out of work, businesses shut down and our school children home we have seen incredible personal and economic hardships. Despite this, California has not seen the drastic reductions in tax revenue that happened during the Great Recession. This means that the draconian and hurtful spending cuts that occurred during that period are not as necessary as they were then.
As my track record shows, I have long been a champion of California’s education system and take pride in the excellent schools of the 25th Senate District. I feel that Governor Newsom’s education proposals are encouraging for the future of our students and schools. Although the Prop 98 minimum education spending amount decreased this year, I am appreciative that the Governor is committed to public education and will not be decreasing education funding. The Governor is proposing $90 billion in funding for schools, the highest investment ever. Included in this area are necessary K-14 investments such as $4.6 billion in extending learning times through programs like Summer school and after school programs, a 3.8% COLA, $250 million in teacher training and recruitment, $2 billion directed to safely and responsibly open schools, and $250 million in incentive funds for districts to expand early education and child care programs. The pandemic has created a mental health crisis for our students, who are cut off from their friends and family. To address this, $400 million is proposed for school-based mental health. This money is necessary to keeps kids safe and successful in school.
There is still much work to be done on the details on how some of the funding formulas will be implemented and I am eager to share my perspective during those discussions.
For higher education, the governor is proposing a $786 million increase in funding for the University of California and the California State University. At times like this, we must continue to fully fund our schools and invest in California’s future. I believe that the proposed budget for this year will allow us to achieve that goal.
I am also encouraged by the governor’s proposals to provide Covid-19 care and economic relief. Governor Newsom is proposing $4.4 billion dollars in emergency relief, including $2 billion in testing, $473 million for contact tracing, and $372 million to get needed vaccines. The Governor is proposing $1.1 billion in immediate relief for small businesses. The 25th Senate District is home to a wonderful array of diverse and vibrant small businesses and I am hopeful that this support will help them survive the pandemic. Additionally, the Governor has proposed a $600 stimulus check for very low income Californians. As so often happens, low income folks have borne the brunt of the impact from the pandemic and hopefully these checks help them make ends meet. The Governor also wants to extend the eviction moratorium so that Californians impacted by the pandemic will not lose their homes to being unable to work. This is a necessary step that I hope the legislature will be able to enact swiftly upon our return from recess.
The governor has also proposed a variety of housing goals to build the housing that California needs. Housing has become unaffordable for too many people in this state so it is encouraging that the Governor is allocating $500 million dollars in low-income housing tax credits. One of my primary concerns over the years when it comes to housing policy in California is that we are building mostly luxury units that do not help the people that are actually in need of housing. Building more and more unaffordable condos is not the solution. This investment into building the affordable housing that Californians actually need makes me more confident that our state has a real plan to tackle our housing crisis. Additionally, the governor is proposing increasing funding for construction apprenticeships. Construction jobs are great careers that elevate people out of poverty and unfortunately have a hard time finding qualified employees.
Although there is significant work ahead, I am encouraged by the Governor’s 2021-2022 budget and am looking forward to continued collaboration between the Legislature and Governor Newsom in creating the best budget that we can make. Having served in the Assembly during the Great Recession, I know that California cannot afford another elongated recession and we have to get this right."
