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Depending on whom you ask, the $300-billion-plus budget bill California lawmakers passed on Monday either was developed largely behind closed doors, ignores the state’s biggest problems and fails to provide urgent relief amid skyrocketing inflation — or offered ample opportunity for public input, makes historic investments in vital programs and ensures the neediest residents will receive financial help as quickly as possible.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first perspective was voiced by Republicans — who have virtually no say in California’s budget process — and the second by Democrats, who control a supermajority of seats in the state Legislature and don’t need GOP votes to pass a spending plan.
But Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t seem too impressed with the budget, either — even though Nancy Skinner, the Berkeley Democrat who leads the Senate budget committee, said it was 95% in alignment with the governor’s own blueprint.
The debate won’t end anytime soon, as the budget is far from final. The framework lawmakers approved Monday simply allows them to meet their Wednesday deadline for passing a spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 — and thus avoid missing their paychecks.
They still have to negotiate key details with Newsom, such as how to spend a $21 billion climate package, Alexei reports. And they have to resolve key differences: Neither side has publicly budged an inch on competing proposals to send rebates to Californians struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living.
As they reach compromises with Newsom, lawmakers will amend their spending plan by passing what are known as budget “trailer bills.” These measures are drafted behind closed doors and can include major policy changes with little to no relationship to the budget, as CalMatters columnist Dan Walters has written.
Democrats, however, pushed back on the notion that California’s budget process shuts out public participation.
Sen. Jim Nielsen has taken at least $447,000 from the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector since he was elected to the legislature. That represents 13% of his total campaign contributions.
State Senate, District 24 (Los Angeles)
State Senate, District 24 (Los Angeles)
Sen. María Elena Durazo has taken at least $1.1 million from the Labor sector since she was elected to the legislature. That represents 54% of her total campaign contributions.
The coronavirus bottom line: As of Thursday, California had 9,106,031 confirmed cases (+0.5% from previous day) and 91,006 deaths (+0.1% from previous day), according to state data now updated just twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. CalMatters is also tracking coronavirus hospitalizations by county.
California has administered 76,821,177 vaccine doses, and 75.5% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated.
As budget negotiations continue, California’s unemployment department — perhaps best-known for paying at least $20 billion in fraudulent claims during the pandemic — is pushing for more funds to boost its fraud prevention and investigation efforts and increase staffing. From November 2021 to April 2022, amid a massive influx in disability insurance claims linked to fraudulent medical providers, the Employment Development Department’s disability insurance branch answered an average of less than half of calls from unique phone numbers — down from about 80% between May and October 2021, CalMatters’ Grace Gedye reports. To sift through the mountain of claims, verify identities, and handle the surge of calls, the branch’s roughly 1,000 staff members worked 22,000 hours of overtime per month from December 2021 to May 2022. Meanwhile, Californians applying for disability benefits were left in the lurch.
Also seeking more funding: advocates who say the state’s plan to extend food assistance benefits to undocumented immigrants 55 and older doesn’t go far enough, CalMatters’ Melissa Montalvo and Jeanne Kuang report.
The highly politicized, volatile and violent atmosphere that seems to be blanketing the nation was evident in three California incidents this weekend:
Yet another heat wave is expected to start spreading across California today, exacerbating the risk of wildfires in a state bone-dry from prolonged drought. But some parts of the state have yet to recover from the weekend heat wave: Hundreds of residents living in remote parts of Southern California were forced to evacuate amid blazes fueled by dry winds. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 700 firefighters were attacking the Sheep Fire in Angeles National Forest, which was about 18% contained and whose smoke was beginning to affect air quality.
Also Monday, a nearly 50-mile portion of Highway 70 in Butte and Plumas counties was closed after flash floods and mudslides in the burn scar of the Dixie Fire — the second-largest blaze in state history — loosed boulders, debris and dead trees into the road. There is currently no estimated time for reopening, state officials said on Facebook.
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: California’s top-two primary election system marked its 10th anniversary last week. Has it worked as promised?
California should protect Joshua trees: The state Fish and Game Commission should list western Joshua trees under the California Endangered Species Act, safeguarding the trees and offering proof of our commitment to fighting climate change, argues Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Joshua tree protection could hinder climate goals: Listing it as a threatened species could make clean energy projects infeasible in California when we need as much renewable power as possible, argues Ethan Elkind of the UC Berkeley School of Law.
California prepares to launch a mental health hotline. // New York Times
YIGBYs are back: California revives push to let churches build housing on their land. // San Francisco Chronicle
Marin County median home price breaks $2 million barrier. // Mercury News
California Politics: Some last thoughts on Golden State governing. // Los Angeles Times
Chesa Boudin recall margins narrow, with voters split 55% to 45%. // San Francisco Chronicle
Advocates fear top Democratic lawmaker will kill California fossil fuel divestment bill. // Capital & Main
State lawmaker to cities: Lift ban on cruising and celebrate its history and culture. // San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego police increase homeless arrests as shelters grow. // inewsource
California Highway Patrol to hire for 100s of officer jobs. // Sacramento Bee
Safeway shooting spurs fears of more conflicts with shoplifters. // Mercury News
Santa Clara County to automate expungements for minor crimes. // Mercury News
Google to pay $118 million to women in gender-bias settlement. // Mercury News
In one of largest charter school scams in history, no one will serve jail time. // Voice of San Diego
Dozens of community colleges planning to offer remedial classes in violation of state law, report says. // EdSource
Black, Latino students in Berkeley Unified overrepresented in special ed. // Berkeleyside
Two more Yolo Food Bank executives out after executive director’s firing. // Sacramento Business Journal
Will Anaheim have a mayor before the November election? // Orange County Register
California Rep. Zofgren to take center stage in Jan. 6 hearing, plans to lay out Trump’s ‘extravagant lies.’ // San Francisco Chronicle
Avenatti says he wants to plead guilty to California charges. // Associated Press
‘Not backsliding on clean energy’: Officials say California’s proposed 5 GW reserve could be heavy on gas. // Utility Dive
Amazon to make deliveries by drone in California later this year. // Wall Street Journal
The Colorado River: Where the West quenches its thirst. // Los Angeles Times
Negro Bar, a California lakeside recreation spot, may get a new name. // San Francisco Chronicle
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