Senator Portantino Applauds Governor Brown’s 2018-2019 Budget Proposal

California Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Pasadena, praised Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2018-2019 budget which increases funding for education, and boosts the state’s new rainy day fund.

Brown on Wednesday unveiled his final budget as governor – a $190.3 billion spending plan that accelerates funding for his 2013 education law and uses new gas tax revenue to fund $4.6 billion in new transportation projects.

A major feature of the governor’s budget is a $5 billion increase in the rainy day fund, which Brown campaigned for in a 2014 ballot initiative to steady the state’s boom and bust finances.

“I applaud the Governor and his proposed budget for 2018-2019, which continues to prioritize California’s K-12 and Higher Education while ensuring future fiscal stability with the increase to the Rainy Day Fund,” Portantino said in a statement. “I am particularly happy the budget increases money for higher education and does not raise tuition. The budget also proposes an investment with $46 million allocated for first time community college tuition waivers and $3 billion for the Local Control Funding Formula.”

Portantino said the 25th Senate District which he represents has some of the most important schools in the state, with “many terrific public school districts, the best community colleges in California and over a dozen 4 year colleges.”

“With much work ahead, I will continue the collaborative process in ensuring our students at all of these schools and across California have success to high quality and affordable public education,” he said.

Portantino is Chair of the state senate’s Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education. In the statement, he also stressed he’s looking forward to beginning the process of creating the proposed California Online College.

The 25th Senate District covers nearly 930,000 people in Pasadena, Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Verne, Monrovia, Montrose, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.

Brown emphasized Wednesday that his budget seriously considers the recession that he believes is looming, as well as the prospect that the Republican-dominated U.S. Congress could cut funding for social services after it voted for a tax cut last month.