Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature reached an agreement on a state budget totaling $310.8 billion for the 2023-24 fiscal year. It came into effect July 1.
The agreement includes provisions for trailer bills that support clean transportation, expanded Medi-Cal coverage, expedited judicial review, advanced mitigation by Caltrans, the conversion of San Quentin into a rehabilitation center and wildlife crossings on I-15, among other initiatives.
“In the face of continued global economic uncertainty, this budget increases our fiscal discipline by growing our budget reserves to a record $38 billion, while preserving historic investments in public education, health care, climate, and public safety,” said Newsom.
Negotiations had been delayed because the of the Governor’s demands, including an infrastructure proposal that lawmakers opposed. A compromise was reached by limiting the types of projects eligible for expedited approval permits and excluding a proposed water conveyance tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
“We started our budget process this time around with tough economic challenges, but one overarching goal: to protect California’s progress,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego).
