SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A budget that lawmakers say is protecting California's investments in progress has reached an agreement.
In a news release from Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atikins (D-San Diego) and Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), officials said the budget boosts fiscal discipline by growing their budget reserves to a $38 billion and preserves investments in public education, health care, climate and public safety.
"We’ve attached new accountability measures for transit and homelessness investments. And we are accelerating our global leadership on climate by fast-tracking the clean energy projects that will create cleaner air for generations to come," said Governor Newsom, in part, in a statement. "As we build the California of the future, we’re expanding our economy and embracing businesses that pave the way with new tax credits for businesses that manufacture computer chips, clean energy facilities, and more – projects that disproportionately benefit disadvantaged communities and create hundreds of thousands of jobs."
While the budget presented some tough economical challenges, officials said they focused on protecting the progress California has made.
"This budget does exactly that — it allows us to close the budget gap, make targeted new investments and provide services and resources for Californians and our communities without cuts to core programs or dipping into our reserves, and in fact builds those reserves,” said Atkins.
Among the items included in the budget is up to $2.83 billion in one-time funds for child care reimbursement increases, according to Rendon.
The agreement also includes support for the associated budget trailer and the following policy bills:
- AB 122 – Joshua Tree (Committee on Budget)
- AB 124 – Green Bank and Energy (Committee on Budget)
- AB 126 – Clean transportation (Reyes)
- SB 145 – Caltrans Advanced Mitigation and I-15 Wildlife Crossings (Newman)
- SB 146 – Progressive Design Build, Job Order Contracting, NEPA Assignment (Gonzalez and Friedman)
- SB 147 – Fully Protected Species (Ashby)
- SB 149 – Expedited Judicial Review, Administrative Record Reform (Caballero and Becker)
- SB 150 – Equity (Durazo, Smallwood Cuevas, Gonzalez, Cortese, and L. Rivas)
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