FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) today issued the following statement on Governor Newsom’s 2021-22 budget proposal:
“As our State begins its economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m encouraged by the Governor’s priorities and proposed investments to support Californians hardest hit by its impacts. This year’s budget, necessarily, looks very different from last year’s – and helping working families recover from the pandemic must be the lens through which all decisions are made.
Above all, I’m heartened by the proposed $4.4 billion aimed directly at Californians’ needs in this moment – funding to get all Californians vaccinated, direct stimulus payments, and grants and fee waivers for small businesses across the state. At a critical time, this year’s budget also includes the highest education investment in our state’s history – proposing $2 billion for safe reopening of schools, with California’s youngest children being the priority. This funding will go far in the way of preventing further learning loss in our kids, and help parents – primarily women – return to the workforce.
The Governor’s proposed housing and homelessness funding is also an essential starting point for COVID recovery, and for our ongoing work to fight these systemic crises. These investments have never been more important than they are within this budget cycle – from the proposed $1.75 billion for individuals experiencing homelessness, to continued funding for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, to holding local governments accountable for producing the housing they promised. My colleagues and I in the State Legislature are also working with the Governor to extend eviction protections beyond the end of this month, in order to keep people in their homes and protect the economic well-being of tenants and landlords alike.
I’m committed to building on these priorities with my colleagues as we reconvene in the State Legislature next week – and with the upcoming change in Administration on the federal level, I’m optimistic about the impact of federal assistance on the lives of Californians.”