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California debates public health spending as virus recedes

It's one of several areas Newsom and lawmakers must reconcile before approving a spending plan by June 30.

Credit: AP

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, a healthcare worker tends to a COVID-19 patient in an intensive care unit during the coronavirus pandemic in San Jose, Calif. California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend the state's extraordinary budget surplus on correcting the most widespread financial impacts of the pandemic, pledging to give $600 payments to most taxpaying adults while committing to pay off all of their outstanding rent and utility bills. But left out of the governor's $267.8 billion budget proposal last month: Money to rebuild local public health departments, whose staffing shortages and fragmented funding were exposed by the coronavirus, impeding a more coordinated response to the crisis. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California public health departments are asking for an unprecedented infusion of cash following the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal did not include ongoing annual funding for public health departments. The state Legislature included more than $400 million of annual funding for public health in its proposal.

It's one of several areas Newsom and lawmakers must reconcile before approving a spending plan by June 30.

Some public health departments said they were not prepared for the pandemic. They are asking for money to hire more people so they can have a broader, more coordinated response to the next public health crisis.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

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