SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to give $20,000 stipends to teachers at high needs schools in California and extend health care to older low-income immigrants who are in the country illegally. He outlined the plans during an announcement Friday of his $222 billion state budget proposal.
The Democratic governor is proposing a continued progressive agenda as he defended California against criticism from national naysayers in the wake of devastating wildfires and widespread power outages. His proposed budget increases spending by 2.3% or about $5 billion, but also boosts state reserves for any economic downturn.
His teacher incentives, which would be given for four years, alone would eat up $100 million, but Newsom said it’s worth the money.
“It’s not that complicated. Train your teachers, make them the best, the brightest, incentivize” he said.
“It’s incredibly important that we have a diverse teaching workforce,” he said, “not only have stable, prepared, professional teachers, but also having a teacher that looks like you. That’s incredibly important, particularly when it comes to African American achievement.”
Expanded Health Care Eligibility
His immigration proposal would provide health care for 27,000 older low-income immigrants who are in the country illegally.
California last year became the first state to offer full health benefits to low-income adults 25 and younger living in the country illegally. The deep-blue state of nearly 40 million people has about 3 million people who don’t have any health insurance. About 30% of those are living in the country illegally, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
“I am extremely pleased that the Governor has included expansion of Medi-Cal to undocumented seniors,” Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D – Fresno, said. “This comes after last year’s legislation to include coverage for young adults up to the age of 26, regardless of immigration status,” he said.
Arambula was the sponsor of that bill, which expanded on a 2016 law offering full health benefits to children 18 and younger regardless of immigration status.
“We can’t solve the health care crisis if we don’t include them as part of the many Californians who are uninsured,” Democratic state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo said in lobbying for benefits to people 65 and older in the country illegally.
Newsom’s proposal continues to keep the state at odds with the federal government’s immigration policies.
“With record funding for education, solid reserves, relief for small businesses, and innovative ideas on climate change, public safety, health care and many other issues, my colleagues and I appreciate the Governor giving us the opportunity to start that process with a budget plan that is already so in sync with California values,” the state’s Democratic Senate leader, Toni Atkins, said in a statement.
Housing, Prescription Drugs and Firefighting Also Prioritized
Newsom’s budget includes a $5.6 billion surplus and $21 billion in reserves for any economic downturn.
His budget introduction is the first step in approving a spending plan. In May, Newsom will revise his plan once state officials have a better estimate of how much money the state will collect in taxes this year. State lawmakers have until June 15 to vote on the proposal and send it to the governor for his approval. Lawmakers forfeit their pay if they miss the deadline.
Newsom already provided details on key areas of his budget in recent days, outlining steps to curb homelessness, wildfires and the cost of prescription drugs.
He signed an executive order Wednesday creating a proposed $750 million fund to pay rents, fund affordable housing or help board and care homes. He’s seeking another $695 million in state and federal matching funds for preventive health care, but some of the money could also go to helping people find housing. And he ordered state agencies to free vacant state property to house homeless people.
On Thursday he proposed having California become the first state to make its own prescription drugs, to “take the power out of the hands of greedy pharmaceutical companies.” California would contract with generic drug companies to create a single market for drug pricing.
He separately proposed hiring 555 firefighters over five years and spending $100 million to make homes more resistant to wildfires as part of a $2 billion emergency services budget that also includes flood protection and high-tech mapping including areas prone to wildfires, floods, tsunamis and mudslides.
Bakersfield Republican Shannon Grove praised the emergency preparedness proposal and the increase in budget reserves but criticized other expenditures.
“The governor offers a lot of new programs, but it’s time to get back to the basics such as lowering the cost of living, ensuring safe communities, providing high-quality education, and serving the disabled,” the Senate Republican Leader said.
“More than 50% of Golden State residents are already considering fleeing because Democrats have imposed high costs on too many basic necessities,” Grove said.
(GV Wire contributed to this report.)
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