SACRAMENTO – Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, recently delivered a joint letter to Governor Gavin Newsom requesting that he prioritize the 2021-2022 budget to include funds for jobless Californians, students, and small businesses affected by his shutdowns.
Over the past ten months, the Governor’s shutdowns and COVID-19 challenges have made it difficult for millions of Californians. More than 19,000 small businesses have already closed their doors for good and with them are countless families who depended on that income to pay for food, housing and other necessities.
For millions of California children, 2020 was a lost academic year, which will only worsen if nothing is done.
With an unexpected $26 billion in revenue, this budget must be laser-focused on helping address our most vulnerable populations. Unlike his previous budgets, Governor Newsom can’t squander this one-time money on his pet projects while millions of Californians are suffering.
Senate Republicans’ 2021-2022 Budget Priorities Include:
Prioritize School Openings and Recovery from Loss of Learning for Students
Funds also should go to help students confronting new mental health issues brought on by shutdown-induced stresses.
Help Small Businesses the State Forced to Close
Senate Republicans support Senate Bill 74, authored by Senator Andreas Borgeas, which would dedicate 10% of the state’s one-time revenue windfall to assisting businesses. This bipartisan proposal can provide billions of dollars to aid businesses and put Californians back to work.
Assistance for Deserving Workers, Not Prisoners
The massive failure of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) is well documented. Senate Republicans support fixing this mess by immediately investing money to ramp up staffing, rework systems, and remove obstacles. Senator Grove introduced Senate Bill 39 to advance badly-needed reforms and Senator Scott Wilk has introduced Senate Bill 58 to reduce the prospects of EDD fraud.
Media can read the letter here.
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