KERN’S STATE LEGISLATORS REACT TO BUDGET VOTE
On the heels of the state Legislature’s approval of a $300 billion spending plan Monday, Kern’s elected officials in the state Assembly and Senate issued the following statements:
State Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield:
“This fig leaf of a budget will help legislators get paid but do little to help California’s struggling families and small businesses, Democrats still refuse to lower gas taxes to provide immediate relief at the pump, despite the country’s highest gasoline prices averaging $6.43 a gallon today.
“And despite the record budget surplus, Democrats refuse to pay down any of the $18 billion in unemployment insurance debt that would help our businesses which are still trying to recover from the governor’s economic shutdown and now face run-away inflation.“
Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield:
“The budget passed today invests in California by increasing per-student spending to among the highest in the nation, expanding tax credits for working families having a hard time paying for their gas and grocery bills, providing relief for our small businesses, improving our infrastructure and providing more money in SSI checks for our seniors.
“I am proud that this budget will produce the largest Rainy Day reserve fund in California’s history. Our work will bring $148 million into the district for energy research and jobs at CSU-Bakersfield and Bakersfield College.”
Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield:
“This budget is incomplete and unsustainable. It is kabuki political theatre to meet a Constitutional deadline, and Californians should rightfully be frustrated. It is a framework that does not deal with the state’s pressing crises.
“With nearly $100 billion in surplus, the proposal before us today does not address critical and core crises facing the state – from a devastating drought to historic inflation to catastrophic wildfires to a potential crippling power shortage.
“The average family is paying $8,425 more for the same amount of goods as last year. Rising prices are crushing family budgets. As the state coffers grow, family budgets are shrinking.”