Senator Portantino’s Statement on Today’s Budget Vote
For Immediate Release: June 15, 2023
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino’s Statement on Today’s Budget Vote
Sacramento, CA - Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) released the following statement regarding the action taken today by the Legislature on the 2023-24 State Budget:
“Today, the Senate voted on a budget that reflects our goals of passing a responsible budget while protecting the progress we have made in recent years. The budget we voted on today includes $30.7B in solutions to close the budget shortfall, maintains General Fund reserves of $37.2B, and continues to make key investments. There are also no ongoing cuts to core programs and no middle class tax increases.
As a proud champion of California’s public education system, I am pleased that we were able to approve a budget that provides schools and community colleges with a $2.1B increase in funding and maintains the Middle Class Scholarship. The budget also includes much needed investments in naloxone and opioid overdose prevention. The opioid crisis is tragic and we must do more to combat its impact on our children – and this includes making naloxone readily available for high-risk age groups. SB 234, which I authored this year, will do just that.
I am particularly excited and encouraged that we approved $15 million for the commercial dishwasher grant program for schools to address single-use waste. Last year, I authored Senate Bill 1255, a bill that was sponsored by the Glendale Environmental Coalition and would have created this grant program for schools. 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 grateful that we voted to extend 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 and thank him for collaborating with me, labor and studios on the extension.
I look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues on a final agreement for a responsible and sound budget."
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