Local lawmakers react to proposed budget
THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
Local lawmakers shared their perspective on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 proposed state budget, which was unveiled Friday. Here’s what they had to say:
“The Governor’s proposed budget released today creates a path forward for recovery and growth in California. With major investments in small business assistance, economic stimulus, school reopenings, and vaccine distribution, California is in a position to overcome this crisis and emerge stronger than ever. I look forward to tackling these issues and others as we continue to fight for working families in the Capitol.”
— Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield
“California is facing crisis after crisis.
We are in a results-oriented business and under that criteria, the Governor is failing — that reality does not change no matter how many new programs and taskforces are created in his budget. Adding more bureaucracy only fuels the frustrations and anxieties of everyday Californians.
Sacramento is failing to address California’s affordability crisis, homelessness crisis, power shutoffs, and an incompetent EDD bureaucracy. California businesses and families have lost hope and are fleeing this state in droves, and this budget does nothing to change that. We need to get back to the basics and produce results for Californians who are suffering under Sacramento’s leadership failures.”
— Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield
“This budget provides relief to workers and businesses hit hard by the pandemic so we can get back to ensuring all Californians have opportunities to thrive. While much more needs to be done, I strongly support the Governor’s early focus on providing targeted relief to low-income Californians, investing an additional $575 million in grants for small businesses and waiving state fees for mom and pop operations devastated by the pandemic. We must also invest in key water and healthcare infrastructure projects with an eye on ensuring rural California, and the Central Valley, gets its fair share.”
— State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger
“With the unexpected $26 billion revenue we have an opportunity to help Californians who desperately need it.
Budget actions must directly help Californians, not merely advance old agendas under the guise of COVID assistance. We should not be prioritizing precious state dollars to line the wallets of well-connected Sacramento special interests or on half-baked policies.”
— State Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield and State Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, in a letter to the governor. They said areas of emphasis in this year’s budget should include prioritizing school reopenings and loss learning for students, helping businesses forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing assistance for “deserving workers, not prisoners.”