Ventura, CA – Today, Governor Newsom announced the 2021-22 Budget proposal. The $227.2 billion fiscal plan provides funding for COVID-19 response and relief efforts and broad-based economic recovery. The budget also covers health care, education, housing, homelessness, criminal justice, wildfires and the environment.
“The proposed budget reinforces and supports the areas of need we are seeing here locally,” said County Executive Office Mike Powers. “The rental, business and housing assistance combined with support for vaccine distribution and testing will help in our local response efforts. At the direction of our Board, our County has provided $120 million in local assistance and this proposed budget will provide significant relief so that we can continue to support our community for both current and long-term recovery.”
It proposes $372 million to speed up administration of vaccines across all of California’s 58 counties, with a goal of swift vaccine distribution. It also includes a $14 billion investment in economic recovery to help those who have lost their jobs, small businesses and those facing eviction – advancing direct cash supports of $600 to millions of Californians through the Golden State Stimulus, extending new protections and funding to help keep people in their homes and investing in relief grants for small businesses.
The Budget recognizes how COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Californians who were already struggling before the pandemic. The Budget proposes one-time and ongoing investments totaling $353 million to support California’s workers as they adapt to changes in the economy brought about by COVID-19. It supports, demand-driven workforce strategies like apprenticeship and High-Road Training Partnerships and advances collaboration between higher education and local workforce partners.
The Budget makes new proposals to address the affordability of health care and housing and supports the increase in the state’s minimum wage to $14 per hour. The Budget includes significant new strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change, with focused investments to support the state’s zero-emission vehicle goals and an additional $1 billion to address a comprehensive wildfire and forest resilience strategy. The Budget also promotes emergency preparedness with investments to improve the state’s ability to respond rapidly to emergencies.
Lawmakers will have until June 15 to pass the budget in the state legislature.
