Senator Portantino’s Statement on the Governor’s May Revise

For Immediate Release: May 13, 2022

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 807-6091

Senator Portantino’s Statement on the Governor’s May Revise

SACRAMENTO – Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) released the following statement on Governor Newsom’s May Revise and the California Blueprint:

“With an unprecedented surplus of $97 billion, this year’s proposed budget makes critical investments at historic levels. The Governor’s proposal would provide financial relief to offset inflation costs, tackle homelessness and affordable housing challenges, address our mental health crisis, significantly affect public education, continue support for small businesses, and protect communities from the effects of climate change.

Expanding on last year’s stimulus package, the $18.1 billion inflation relief package includes financial assistance for Californians to offset high costs due to inflation. The proposal makes investments through direct payments and tax refunds, emergency rental assistance, support for past-due utility bills, free public transit, expanding affordable health care and retention stipends for hospital and nursing home staff, fee waivers for childcare, and a temporary pause of the diesel sales tax – all of which provide immediate financial relief for low and middle income families.

The May Revise once again proposes the highest levels of funding for our public education system, including investing in historic college savings accounts, after school programs, special education, as well as reforming our public education system by adding a whole new grade - universal pre-kindergarten. Also included in the proposal are important investments to tackle declining enrollment and infrastructure updates. These investments are critical to helping our youth achieve academic success and preparing the next generation of leaders.

I am particularly pleased that the May Revise addresses children’s mental health with a $65 million investment for care court and $4.8 billion for wellness and mindful programs, youth-led social media campaigns, school and community based crisis response, community based youth suicide prevention and outreach, and career development and parental support.  Millions of Californians, including at least 1 in 5 youth, live with mental health challenges and we must continue to create meaningful ways to support those in need of help. This is an issue that needs to be at the forefront of our budget investments and legislative agendas.

Earlier this year in his budget announcement, Governor Gavin Newsom had included a $20 million dollar investment for the relocation of the Carnegie Institution for Science to Pasadena – a request that I was pleased to initiate. The new center of scientific discovery will work on strategies to solve environmental, biological and energy threats to California and the world.  More than two hundred new hires and relocated staff will be housed at the research facility. I am grateful to Governor Newsom for his continued leadership on environmental protection and for his recognition of the importance this new research campus will have for California and the positive impact it will have on combating environmental threats.

I want to also thank Governor Newsom for proposing $10 million in additional funding for the Armenian American Museum currently under construction in the City of Glendale.  The proposed new funding would bring the state’s total investment in the museum to $19.8 million.

Finally, it is critical that we invest in reproductive health care, as the Governor proposed.  As the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, many states throughout the country are also preparing to pass laws that will restrict access to reproductive health care and ban abortions. California will continue to protect fundamental reproductive rights, improve the availability of safe and accessible abortion and health care for all women. The $125 million investment proposed in the May Revise will ensure that women’s reproductive rights are not only protected but strengthened.

I’m proud of our strong fiscal foundation and look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues as we continue to make historical investments in California’s future.”

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