Governor
Newsom Releases First State Budget
Funding
proposed for library programs and prison literacy
At
11 a.m. this morning, Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference at the
Secretary of State’s Office auditorium to present the first state Budget of his
new Administration. Governor Newsom
introduced a $209 billion proposed Budget,
of which $144 billion is General Fund (e.g. versus “special funds,” etc.).
The
Governor explained in detail numerous programs that were priorities for him,
stating, “I want to do justice to the magnitude of the decisions. These dollars are attached to real people and
real people’s lives.” He has focused a great deal of new funding in health and
human services and K-12 and higher education, including early childhood
education, special education, and providing the first two years free for
community college enrollees.
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“The
message we are advancing here is discipline,” the Governor stated. As such, he has dedicated a large amount of
the new funding to “one-time” enhancements (must be spent in Budget year
2019-2020), rather than “ongoing” funds.
The
Governor is proposing the following:
-“Online
Service Systems - $1 million General Fund one-time for online systems for
use by public libraries to support efficient access to resources.”
-“Lunch at the Library - $1 million
General Fund one-time for library districts to develop summer meal programs for
students in low-income communities.”
Additionally, libraries and
literacy were woven into the Governor’s remarks in various ways today. For example, Governor Newsom announced he was
“committed to literacy in the prisons.
You will hear me talk about this [issue] this year, next year, and in
the 3rd year….There is no greater return on an investment than teaching a
person to read.” Governor Newsom is providing
$5.5 million for a package of programs “specifically aimed at improving
literacy rates among the offender population…”
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The Governor also indicated that he
would be rolling out “A Fresh Start” program for the Department of Motor
Vehicles. His Budget states that “no
other state department has as many interactions with Californians as the DMV.
As recent events have highlighted, DMV has significant customer service
challenges.” The document goes on to
state that an audit is currently underway to see how the DMV interaction with
customers can be improved, and the Governor suggested, “We will look into more
field locations, and libraries, malls, etc.
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The
Legislature will commence hearings on Governor’s Newsom’s Budget in late
February or early March. Governor Newsom
will also produce a “May Revision” of the State Budget in May, which will
feature a more accurate revenue projection, taking into account April tax
receipts. The Budget must be passed and
sent to the Governor by June 15. We will keep you updated as these issues
progress through the legislative process.
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