Jewish legislators find much in state budget to praise

SACRAMENTO, California – California’s Legislature $109.4 billion budget features $10.4 billion in debt repayments, a $2.1 billion Rainy Day reserve fund, and a clear focus on children and education. In a multi-year strategy to bridge the achievement gap, the budget expands early-learning opportunities to all low-income children in California, dedicates $250 million toward career-oriented education, and $310 million to strengthen California Community Colleges, State Senate President pro tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-California) said following final passage on Sunday, June 15.

Other highlights agreed upon in this year’s budget negotiation is a $91 million commitment to reduce re-offending rates and crime among prisoners suffering from mental illness, and a permanent source of state funding for mass transit and sustainable communities in California starting in 2015, an assurance that Californians currently don’t enjoy.

In his sixth and final state budget as President pro Tempore of the California Senate, Steinberg said  “I was elected to lead the Senate when California was on the verge of bankruptcy. Today, the budget is back in the black with a strong rainy day fund, an aggressive debt repayment plan, a stabilizing pension system, and is projected to return surpluses for years to come.”

“With this, my final budget, I can also look back and know that within this responsible and solvent budget, California has also made dramatic progress in improving early childhood education; in building strong foundations to reduce high school drop-out rates; in reforming the criminal justice system; in tackling the afflictions of mental illness; in advancing healthcare; and in preserving California’s verve by stewarding growth toward breathable and sustainable transit-oriented communities instead of endless suburban sprawl.”

This year’s budget, passed by both the state Assembly and Senate on 55-24 and 25-11 votes respectively, heads to California’s Governor for his consideration. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signaled his support for the budget agreement in a statement of June 13, 2014.

Other Jewish members of the state Legislature also announced themselves pleased with the budget.  Among them were:

State Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego): “California has approved its fourth consecutive and on-time and balanced budget. At $108 billion, it is a stronger state spending plan than we have seen in recent years. It continues our reinvestment in K-12 education that is so important to California’s future. We were able to reinvest in early childhood learning, career education, disabled student services and our higher education system. In addition we set aside $10.4 billion in debt repayment and $2.1 billion for a Rainy Day reserve fund. t’s an imperfect budget created through an imperfect process, but it is a budget that honors our most important priorities for children and securing our future. More importantly, it is further evidence that California is on the rebound.”

State Sen. Hannah Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara): “With this budget, we continue the hard, important work of rebuilding our state after the devastation of the recession. We passed a budget that prioritizes fiscal responsibility, pays down debt, and builds a solid rainy day reserve. It makes important investments in state preschool to serve our youngest learners, so that we can begin to close the achievement gap for all of our state’s children. It includes more funding for higher education and some, if limited, restorations of childcare funding. I’m proud of the additional funding we’ve secured for passenger rail, which will ensure investments in services regionally and statewide that will reduce greenhouse gases into the future. We still have so much work ahead to rebuild our court system to restore access to justice. We need to invest further in a state childcare system that has been cut to the bone, so that Californians can keep working and children learning. We have much work ahead to envision the bold future we want for our state. But tonight we celebrate how far California has come from the deficits of the past, and a budget that is balanced and responsible, and takes a vital step forward for our state.”

Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael): “This is the Father’s Day budget that takes care of California’s children.  This budget is a responsible spending plan that pays down the wall of debt and increases funding for K-12 and higher education and other critical public services. This budget also includes funding for a suicide barrier for the Golden Gate Bridge.  This barrier will save lives and is desperately needed. Additionally, the budget sets in place a plan of shared responsibility to make the teacher’s retirement system solvent.  Solvency of the State Teachers Retirement Fund makes sure that the money is there when it is needed and protects classroom spending.”The 2014-15 state budget includes the following funding provisions: Pays down the wall of debt by up to $12.4 billion;  Increases K-12 per pupil spending by 10%;  Provides $250 million to strengthen career pathways between high schools and community colleges; Places an 18-month moratorium on CSU campus fees; Increases funding to UC and CSU by $142 million per system; Provides $180 million to cover the cost of overtime pay for In-Home Supportive Services homecare workers; Provides $9 million to expand eligibility for Cal Fresh Program and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS).

Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach): “For years, the Great Recession hampered our ability to maintain our network of roads, bridges and railways. With this budget, we’ll finally start to make some progress on improving the infrastructure that millions of Californians depend on each and every day.” The largest portion of infrastructure investment in the 2014-15 Budget, $479 million, will go towards transportation infrastructure improvements. Cities and counties will see new funding for local streets and roads, and job growth through local projects. The cap and trade revenue distribution plan included in the budget will lead to significant investments in high speed and intercity rail, transit programs, affordable housing, and community sustainability. “If we want to meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals, we have to work towards sustainable solutions,” said Lowenthal. “Today we’re charting a course to give every community across the state a cleaner, brighter future.”

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Preceding compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff