Senator Portantino Responds to Governor Newsom’s California Budget Proposal - Excited by Film & TV Tax Credit Extension

For Immediate Release: January 10, 2023

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

Senator Portantino Responds to Governor Newsom’s California Budget Proposal - Excited by Film & TV Tax Credit Extension

Sacramento, CA - Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) released the following statement regarding Governor Newsom’s 2023-24 State Budget proposal:

As we look to the future and see uncertain economic times, I applaud the Governor on his budget proposal, which makes key investments while taking into consideration the economic uncertainty Californians are facing. The 2023-24 State Budget proposed today is just the beginning of the budget process that will include negotiations with the Legislature, but I am pleased with the steps the Governor has taken.

I am excited and encouraged that the Governor has taken the opportunity to support two items in his budget that I have been working on. First, the budget proposes to provide $15 million for the purchase and installation of commercial dishwashers at schools to address single-use waste. Last year, I authored Senate Bill 1255, a bill that was sponsored by the Glendale Environmental Coalition and Green Lunchroom, and would have created a grant program for schools to do just that. This funding will help schools with the upfront costs associated with the purchase and installation of equipment that has acted as a barrier to addressing this issue. I am pleased to have the Governor’s support on this important effort.

"We are sincerely thankful to Governor Newsom for providing funding for K-12 waste reduction in this year’s budget,” stated Monica Campagna of the Glendale Environmental Coalition and Karen Hare Neilsson of the Green Lunchroom.  “Having the money to install industrial dishwashers will provide the opportunity for hundreds of schools in our state to move to back to reusable foodware. It’s inspiring and has the potential to be extremely impactful! We are very grateful to Senator Portantino for taking on this bill—for listening to us and believing in us and working hard to get this funding allocated! Starting with an idea at Benjamin Franklin Magnet Elementary school in Glendale, a handful of parents and PTA members created a committee that grew into ‘Green Lunchroom’, which succeeded in launching a pilot dishwasher program with GUSD.  This model was the inspiration for SB 1255.  Four years later, we are so happy that this opportunity will be available to school districts throughout our state thanks in large part to our representative listening to ideas stemming from his community! Thank you Senator!”

Secondly, I am immensely grateful that the Governor included an extension of the Film and Television Tax Credit Program for five years beginning in 2025-26. This has long been an important program for my constituents because of the economic benefits the program provides to the Los Angeles region and California as a whole. Last year, I authored SB 485 to extend the Film and Television Tax Credit Program until 2030 and based on negotiations with the Governor and his team, I held the bill so that details could be included in this year’s budget. I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to this issue, which will continue to bring union jobs back to California from states that do not reflect our values and I thank him for collaborating with me on its extension.

As you know, I am proud to be a champion of California’s education system and take great pride in the schools of the 25th Senate District. Governor Newsom’s proposal takes important steps toward helping students succeed by implementing universal transitional kindergarten and providing access to two free school meals per day for students regardless of income.

Also, as someone who has advocated for student screening for risk of dyslexia early in their academic careers and as a dyslexic myself, I am pleased to see the Governor’s continued investment on the issue. I look forward to evaluating the Governor’s proposal on dyslexia screening and working with organizations like Decoding Dyslexia to ensure universal screening is available to all California students.

Lastly, as we head into these uncertain economic times, the Governor’s Budget does not draw from the state’s $35.6 billion in total budgetary reserves. By sustaining our current reserve balances, we will allow the state to remain on a solid fiscal footing. I look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues on building a responsible and sound budget. There is still much work to be done and I am eager to share my perspective during these discussions."

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